Climate action, learning and community advocacy!
Lighter Footprints core members and friends came worked together, brainstorming and then sorting options for the year ahead
Thanks so much to Lighter Footprints friends and volunteers who came to our recent planning afternoon workshop, generously giving us their ideas and commitment for what is shaping up as a very successful year ahead.
Kimbra ran a relaxed but quite speedy program with a lot of parts – here we are connecting over when we got active in Lighter Footprints
Acting on climate and building community knowledge and connection
Setting goals
People worked in small groups to look at goals and expectations for the planning day – including growth, positive outcomes in informing the community, climate advocacy and practical action that will inspire others.
Ideas for meetings and gatherings
Before afternoon tea we gathered in small groups to work through ideas for our monthly meetings, and then played bingo with the results, gathering like ideas. Popular themes included getting off gas, various takes on climate risk, forests (key state election theme), more battery/electrification events, plus some interest looking at macroeconomics and the circular economy – so much to choose from!
Small group time was productive – each group generated unique takes, with some intersections between themes, better than just sticking to major big picture topics.
The Committee are considering these suggestions and working hard to craft a varied and interesting program that not just informs our community on climate but also creates stepping stones for new volunteers and community connection.
Stepping people up
As well as progressing the working groups, there was quite a bit of enthusiasm for smaller in person activities like bush walks, pub nights, film events as well as a renewed emphasis on getting out in the community with a presence at regular stalls and perhaps farmers markets.
After more small group discussion, people presented a whole lot of ideas for reaching out into the community and refreshing our connections with each other
Being prepared, capable and inspired
We have to look forward to the 2028 election and be in a position to take on new challenges flowing from the huge increase of climate disinformation from groups like Advance, as well as the disappointment from Labor’s ongoing support for new coal and gas. And in the mean time we have the State elections later this year.
Lighter Footprints really matters.
In 2024 we ran a successful non-partisan climate scorecard campaign which supported one of the biggest shifts in local government where Boroondara elected a majority progressive Council that has been delivering for local climate action.
In 2025 Lighter Footprints ran and assisted in successful Vote Climate campaigns, centered around candidate forums and non-partisan climate scorecards in three electorates.
Great to see the way neighbouring climate groups are willing to step up and support us, and the flow goes both ways
This also helped support the growth of new climate groups in Menzies and Chisholm. We supported a serious drive for electrification with multiple battery meetings, ran a very successful Urban Forests event and took on interesting new area with the Sports and Climate event.
Thanks to Richard we are now running Facebook Live which allows new pathways for people to step up in comms, and the working groups are growing.
Join us as we work together to inspire our community to take action on climate!
Join with us in working for a safer climate future
Climate action benefits the whole community
We’d love you to step up this year, get involved and contribute your expertise and ideas to foster going electric, challenge the fossil majors, inform people’s vote for climate, protect our forests and build an informed community that is willing to create a safer future for our kids.
- Find more about our working groups here
- Your ideas and skills are valued – visit our volunteer page here
Join us in climate action!