We have to move faster on climate!
Let’s seize opportunities for progress on clean energy and climate action.
With a very large majority and Greens holding the balance of power in the Senate, the second term Albanese government still has an opportunity for progress on clean energy, electrification and protecting forests. However Labor’s disappointing record on coal and gas approvals shows us that a safe climate has come second to fossil donor interests. Pressure from an informed electorate is essential in tipping the dial towards the interests of the planet, our community and our kids. Join Lighter Footprints in advocating, educating and campaigning for a safer climate, and moving past gas towards clean tech and clean exports.
We’d love to hear your suggestions and where you feel you could best contribute.
If you would like to get involved – sign up in the form below!
Voters chose solar over nuclear and support for climate progress
Congratulations to three climate-friendly MPs
What’s next? We have read through expert responses and given you a comprehensive look at opportunities for climate action and potential challenges. Check out our blog on second term big ideas for climate here.
Kooyong 2025
Climate independent Dr Monique Ryan was re-elected despite an aggressive, massively funded disinformation and anti-renewables campaign. The Vote Climate campaign was centred around the Candidate Scorecard, which was distributed to the whole electorate, and at pre-poll and the majority of booths at polling day.
- Kooyong Votes Climate campaign page
- Vote Climate Launch blog
- Kooyong Candidates Forum blog
Chisholm 2025
Labor MP Carina Garland was re-elected despite an aggressive anti-renewables campaign. The Vote Climate campaign, led by Chisholm Climate Action Network, centred around the Candidate Forum and the Candidate Scorecard which was distributed to the whole electorate, and at pre-poll and selected booths at polling day.
- Chisholm Vote Climate campaign page
- Ashburton festival blog
- Chisholm Candidates Forum blog
Menzies 2025
Labor candidate Gabriel Ng was elected with the support of independent and Greens preferences, the first time Menzies has been represented by Labor. The Vote Climate campaign, led by Menzies for Climate, centred around the Candidate Forum and Candidate Scorecard, handed out at pre-poll and selected booths on polling day.
- Menzies campaign page
- Menzies Candidates Forum blog
Non-partisan Vote Climate campaigns really work.
In 2024, Lighter Footprints volunteers helped run the Boroondara Votes Climate campaign.
A majority climate-active Council has been elected in Boroondara.
This is an amazing change and gives us hope that Council will support real climate action in our community, including supporting solar, going electric, protecting green spaces and active transport.
Check out the candidate scorecards here, campaign issues here, the story of the campaign here, and playlist here.
Let’s accelerate climate action for our kids
It’s getting hotter, and climate damage is getting worse.
We have to move faster on climate.
Labor has a huge majority in the lower house, and the balance of power in the Senate is held by the Senate – this new term could be a huge opportunity for climate action.
Protecting biodiversity, supporting solar, moving households away from unhealthy polluting gas to cheaper, safer electric appliances, and accelerating low carbon transport – all opportunties for the new Labor government.
However our parliamentarians live in a world where climate policy owes more to fossil donations than the needs of the community.
Want to support the shift to clean energy, electric households and transport?
Will you help us help accelerate solar and going electric, and keep putting pressure on Labor over forests and no new coal and gas?
Sign up on the form on this page.
Step up for climate action by filling in this form here
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Climate changed the political landscape in 2022
We congratulated new MPs in Kooyong, Chisholm and Higgins.
Major parties attracted their lowest support to date, with voters moving to Greens and Teal independents, motivated by climate, integrity and treatment of women and minorities. “Concern about the climate crisis was the No 1 issue that prompted Australians to switch their vote to an independent candidate” according to in-depth research.
Vote Climate campaigns have proven their success.
Read more about the 2022 Federal Vote Climate campaigns strategy and events here.
Kooyong 2022
In Kooyong, the Vote Climate campaign was framed around financial, economic and health benefits of the clean energy transition and climate action.
More about the Kooyong Vote Climate campaign
Congratulations to the Member for Kooyong, Dr Monique Ryan, elected on a 6.3% swing and primary vote of 41.5%.
According to Australia’s Biggest Climate Poll, three in four Kooyong voters believed that climate action would strengthen the economy, protect their health and is worth doing despite “any costs involved”. The Liberals continued to push public funds into fossil fuel expansion.
In Kooyong, the Vote Climate campaign was framed around financial, economic and health benefits, highlighting our abundant renewable resources, and the advantages of ramping up clean manufacturing. The campaign involved stalls, a campaign launch, events including a candidate forum (where the incumbent famously refused to attend) and the delivery of a candidate scorecards across the electorate, at pre poll and polling day.
- Visit our Kooyong campaign page for further details of campaign issues and links to campaign activities.
- Visit our Kooyong scorecard information page for candidate policies and ratings.
Chisholm 2022
In Chisholm, the Vote Climate campaign framed clean energy and climate action through job opportunities and lowered cost of living.
More about the Chisholm Vote Climate campaign
Congratulations to the Member for Chisholm, Carina Garland, elected with an increased primary vote of 4.6%. The LNP incumbent lost 7.8% in her primary vote and the Green vote increased 1.6% to 11.6%.
Lighter Footprints supported local climate groups ECAM and ACF Chisholm in running a Vote Climate campaign in Chisholm, centered around job opportunities and energy bill savings, with a weekly vigil, and climate and integrity Candidate Scorecard. Lighter Footprints assisted FOE’s Act on Climate with local events on climate targets and electric vehicles, and supported the School Strikers’ Chisholm Candidate Forum.
- Visit our Chisholm campaign page for further details of campaign issues and links to campaign activities.
- Visit our Chisholm scorecard information page for candidate policies and ratings.
Higgins 2022
In Higgins, the Vote Climate campaign framed climate action around health benefits, intergenerational equity and sustainability.
More about the Higgins Vote Climate campaign
Congratulations to the Member for Higgins, Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah elected with an increased primary vote of 2.8%. The LNP incumbent lost 5.8% in her primary vote.
Lighter Footprints supported local climate group HigginsCAN in running a Vote Climate campaign in Higgins, centered around health benefits, intergenerational equity and sustainability, with a weekly vigil, street conversations, and climate and integrity Candidate Scorecard via letter dropping, pre poll and polling day.
Higgins CAN ran a Candidate Forum where the incumbent after refusing to attend turned up at the last minute and left before any constituent questions. Dr Will Howard from Higgins CAN and Drs for the Environment was interviewed by Virginia Trioli at Malvern Central.
- Visit our Higgins campaign page for further details of campaign issues and links to campaign activities.
- Visit our Higgins scorecard information page for candidate policies and ratings.
Forests and gas were vote determining issues in the 2022 Victorian elections.
Victoria has how banned logging in native forests and is taking significant steps towards moving households off gas.
See more about the huge effort that went into raising the profile of climate issues in our local area, particularly forests and gas, which was reflected in the overall Victorian results.
More about local State Vote Climate campaigns
Scorecard information pages
- Hawthorn Scorecard Information Page
- Kew Scorecard Information Page
- Ashwood Scorecard Information Page
- Malvern Scorecard Information Page
Candidate Forum Videos
View the candidates presentations and answers to audience questions.
- Hawthorn Candidate Forum on YouTube
- Part 1 – Candidate Presentations
- Part 2 – Q&A
- Kew Candidate Forum on YouTube
- Malvern Candidate Forum on Facebook
More about Forests campaigning
Victorian voters voted against forest logging
Protecting our native forests is essential for a safe climate future
Updates on our forests info page.
Logging has pushed our Mountain Ash forests to the brink
- Logging impacts the critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum (numbers could be as low as 1000) and the endangered Greater Glider.
- Professor Lindenmayer presented evidence in 2018 that Victoria’s “Mountain Ash ecosystem is collapsing.”
- Over 50% of logged Mountain Ash coupes fail to grow back.
Protecting our native forests is a highly effective way to reduce emissions.
- Our undisturbed native forests have some of the highest carbon stores in the world.
- Victorian native forest logging releases 3 million tonnes of carbon per year, as much as 700,000 cars.
Logging has increased bushfire risk and damages our water catchments
- Logged forest areas have a much higher risk of much more severe fires for up to five decades – ANU.
- Each year of logging has reduced our supplies by 15,000 megalitres, the equivalent used by 250,000 people.
Ending logging will protect taxpayer funds
- Victorians have paid for forests to be logged – a 2020 PBO study found that we would save around $20m/pa if we transitioned to plantation timber
Native logging was ceased in 2024 due to community and legal pressure
More about Gas campaigning
It’s time to accelerate the shift away from gas
Electrification will help protect our health and our climate
Updates on our Victorian gas info page.
Electric homes are cleaner, safer and save on energy bills
- Electric heat pumps for hot water, and reverse cycle air conditioners (heat pumps) are very efficient, lowering emissions.
- Gas cooking increases the incidence of childhood asthma by 12% – UQ.
- An electric home saves over $1,000 per year, or double that with solar PV.
To meet Victoria’s climate targets we need to rapidly transition away from fossil gas
- Fossil gas accounts for 17% of Victorian emissions with 70% being used for heating and hot water.
- Switching to efficient electric appliances for heating will lower the cost of energy bills.
Moving to renewables increases Victoria’s energy independence
- We don’t have a gas supply crisis, we have a market crisis – Victorian Government.
- Supporting rapid electrification, and demand reduction through energy efficiency, will increase energy resilience.
- Moving to electric appliances will reduce the impact of price shocks on households and businesses – Climate Council.
- New drilling or risky, polluting gas import facilities are not the answer.
To meet Victoria’s climate targets we need to move past gas
Acknowledgements
Vote Climate scorecards are developed by members of the Victorian Climate Action Network Scorecard Working Group in conjunction with KCCA, and other local climate groups. The scorecards are policy based and do not endorse particular candidates. Boroondara candidate scorecards were based on questionnaire responses and developed in partnership with KCCA.
Victorian Climate Action Network (VCAN)
VCAN is a coordinating body for Victorian climate groups
Kooyong Climate Change Alliance (KCCA)
Along with partner local climate groups, Lighter Footprints is a member of KCCA.
Lighter Footprints assisted KCCA in running the non-partisan Vote Climate campaigns Boroondara, Kooyong, Kew and Hawthorn.
Higgins Climate Action Network (HCAN)
Lighter Footprints is a member of HCAN, which is coordinating the non-partisan Malvern Vote Climate campaign.
Ashwood CAN
Lighter Footprints is a member Ashwood CAN which has been formed to coordinate the non-partisan Ashwood Vote Climate campaign.
This page is authorised by Lighter Footprints Inc, Register Number A0095302A, 12 Segtoune Street, Kew, Victoria.
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