Donate
Donate

    Want to hear more about the campaign?
    Sign up for the latest updates from Emergency Leaders for Climate Action
    Close

    Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA) exists to catalyse all levels of government to act on climate change.

    Informed by climate science and centuries of combined experience, Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA) is working to ensure that fire and emergency services are equipped to protect Australian communities from increasingly frequent and damaging extreme weather events.

    We are actively shaping the national conversation about climate change and extreme weather, by drawing the media spotlight when and where it’s needed, engaging with all state and federal bushfire inquiries and commissions and through convening and engaging with the people who need to be involved in the discussion.

    Our impact

    78000

    Traditional & social media mentions

    Over summer 2019-20 alone, ELCA was mentioned over 14,000 times in traditional media and 64,000 times on social media, reaching over 100 million people. 
    165

    Policy recommendations

    ELCA has made numerous policy recommendations to state and federal inquiries about the need for strong climate action and enhanced resourcing of emergency services.
    2019

    Black Summer bushfire season

    ELCA came out strongly in the media to highlight the role of climate change in the summer bushfires, and was also frequently cited as an authoritative voice in independent media coverage and analysis of the issue.

    Since its inception in April 2019 and throughout the 2019/20 Australian bushfire crisis, Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA) has been a source of leadership for Australians. Led by Climate Councillor and former Commissioner of Fire & Rescue NSW, Greg Mullins, Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA) has cut through the political noise and firmly articulated that worsening extreme weather is being aggravated by climate change, driven by burning fossil fuels.

    Through a carefully executed media strategy, meetings with decision-makers and policy submissions, ELCA’s growing coalition has had a transformative impact on the public debate. We have:

    • Clearly articulated that worsening bushfire conditions have been aggravated by climate change
    • Shut down the argument that climate change shouldn’t be mentioned during bushfires
    • Debunked dangerous myths aimed at diverting attention away from climate change
    • Advocated for better resourcing for fire and emergency services
    • Warned the Federal Government of the risks and consequences of its failure to act
    • Underlined the fact that burning coal, oil and gas is driving climate change and these are worsening bushfire conditions
    READ OUR STORY
    • We felt we had a duty to tell people how climate change is super-charging our natural disaster risks. I wish we were wrong, but we’re not.
      Greg Mullins black and white photo
      Greg Mullins AO AFSM
      Climate Councillor and former Commissioner of Fire and Rescue NSW; Emergency Leaders for Climate Action
    • What we need is for governments and leadership to start listening to the experts. Listen to those that are informed and have seen what’s happening across the landscape, listening to the science and responding to what’s happening with climate change and taking action on emissions reductions across the country.
      Mike Brown black and white photo
      Mike Brown AM AFSM
      Former Chief Fire Officer, Tasmania Fire Service; Emergency Leaders for Climate Action

    Will you join us?

    Donate to the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action and support a growing coalition of former senior emergency service leaders with first-hand experience of escalating climate change impacts, who are uniting to push for strong leadership on climate change action.

    Chip in today to power our emergency leaders’ call for urgent action on climate change.