Advocacy group Parents for Climate applauds the Economics References Senate Committee report into residential electrification this week and calls for parties across the spectrum to back in the report’s findings with strong election commitments.

Parents for Climate CEO Nic Seton said he was pleased to see bipartisan agreement on the benefits of home electrification and now calls on the major parties to support what has long been understood by experts: electrification is the best and quickest way to permanently bring down power bills.

“Our research over several years has shown the potentially dramatic cost-savings that home electrification can bring. While it’s refreshing to see these common-sense findings are supported by a cross partisan committee, we’re yet to see the major parties reflect these permanent solutions to cost-of-living pressures in their election platforms.

“We surveyed over 1,400 families, and those who own their homes and are on higher incomes are choosing to save money by electrifying their appliances and getting off expensive gas. But those who rent or who can’t afford the upfront cost of upgrades, are locked into paying high costs. In a cost of living crisis Australian families need governments to do more to remove these barriers.

“Bill-busting energy solutions are the focus of our advocacy efforts in the lead up to the federal election. We’re asking all federal election candidates to pledge their support for clean energy upgrades that cut the cost of living.”

“217 candidates have already pledged, representing 117 lower house electorates and ten political parties, including Family First and One Nation. So we know there’s grassroots support all across the political spectrum for these reforms. Now we need action.

“Australian families who are struggling with the cost of living need major party platforms to reflect this common-sense. All party platforms need to clearly demonstrate how they’ll support cost-saving clean energy upgrades for families.”

Case studies available

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, made more intense and damaging due to climate pollution, has caused 2.3 million days of lost learning across Queensland and New South Wales, says advocacy group Parents for Climate.

“Unnatural weather extremes, worsened by burning coal and gas, are shutting down schools at an alarming rate. It’s time for urgent action to make schools fit for the future,” said Parents for Climate CEO Nic Seton.

''We’ve been tracking weather related-closures of schools and early learning centres since the start of 2024, and the numbers are staggering. The data we’ve collected shows 1,804 schools across QLD and NSW have closed for at least a day, with most closed for much longer.

“At least 650,000 students have been affected and at least 2.3 million days of learning lost due to cyclone-related closures in March.”

As more frequent extreme weather forces hundreds of schools to close, Parents for Climate is calling on state and federal governments to protect students by installing solar-powered air-conditioning and considering a shift in school term dates to avoid summer extremes.

Mr Seton said our kids’ safety and education is under threat.

“Schools in a country like Australia should have enough solar and battery power to stay open when the grid is disrupted by extreme weather events.

“After an unnatural weather event, it’s in everyone’s interests for schools to reopen as soon as possible and adapting to power disruptions and heat extremes will help. All schools should have enough solar to run even if the grid is down, so secure power can also run air conditioning when it’s dangerously hot.

“Last year the Philippines decided to move their school term because of extreme heat impacts. If governments aren’t prepared to build schools for today and tomorrow, then we’re calling for an inquiry into how schools will adapt to guarantee kids’ safety and education.”

Parents for Climate is urging governments to:

1. Install solar-powered air conditioning and battery storage in all state schools and early childhood centres, prioritising lower-income communities.

2. Investigate shifting school term dates to avoid increasingly severe summer weather impacts.

A recent Zurich-Mandala Climate Risk Index report warned that two-thirds of schools in Australia currently face high climate risk. This is set to rise to 84% by 2060, with students projected to endure 34 heatwave days per year.

“This is a crisis. If we continue to burn fossil fuels and governments don’t act now, more children will suffer, more schools will close, and our education system will be increasingly disrupted,” said Mr Seton

Case studies available: 

Kate Smolders, Brisbane

“I just keep thinking about how I was in my 30s before I experienced my first natural disaster.

“But this is the second time my six year old has experienced something like this, and for my 12 year old it’s the third.

“We flooded in 2011 and 2022, and we sold our last house as a result. In this house I don’t consciously worry about flooding, but when you hear that rain there’s still something in you that goes, “Oh here we go again.”

“It’s like hypervigilance, Everyone’s a bit on edge.”

Amy Shemwell, mother of one, Brisbane (UK-born - no previous experience with weather events like this)

References 

• Zurich-Mandala Climate Risk Index: the impact of climate change on Australia's schools

• Philippines adjusts school calendar to avoid heat

• Hothouse Australia: our kids at risk as heat soars, Parents for Climate & Sweltering Cities, 2024

• UNDER PRESSURE: The climate crunch fuelling inflation and hurting Aussie families, Parents for Climate & Climate Council, 2024

• Solar Our Learning: saving millions for the early learning sector, Parents for Climate, 2024

Parents for Climate welcomes the federal government’s support for homes in all states and territories to access bill-busting clean energy solutions.

The government has announced today that it has asked the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to consider funding for more community electrification trials across the country.

Parents for Climate CEO Nic Seton said that support for household electrification would help families reduce their household bills.

“Our research with Climate Council found that an overwhelming 84% of Australian parents either have or want these cost-saving energy solutions in their homes, but upfront cost was the number one obstacle getting in the way.

The Antipoverty Centre, Parents for Climate, Sweltering Cities and people suffering from high energy costs have delivered a $173 million energy bill to Origin Energy headquarters, launching the Stop The Bill Shock campaign. The figure is the estimated cost for the company to wipe clean overdue amounts from its 98,000 electricity customers currently on a hardship program with the company.

We are calling on all energy companies to wipe debts and stop price gouging because of the huge increase in customers on hardship plans, which place many people in a debt trap where they are never able to repay the full amount they owe or switch to a cheaper provider.

Included below: photo of bill handover, comments from people who shared their stories at the event and spokespeople from the Antipoverty Centre, Parents for Climate and Sweltering Cities; key statistics.

Parents for Climate welcomes the Queensland LNP to government.

Nic Seton, CEO of Parents for Climate, said the election result shows that Queenslanders supported the LNP’s decision to vote in favour of strong 2035 emissions reduction targets.

“Queensland voters, including regional Queenslanders, voted in a party with an ambitious climate pollution reduction target, and want to see that target achieved as promised.

“Queensland is already a world leader in rooftop solar uptake, with many families enjoying the financial benefits of lower energy bills. And Queensland schools have led the country in installing air conditioning powered by cheap rooftop solar energy - keeping kids safe now and into the future. We call on the LNP Government to extend these initiatives to childcares and low-income households that are currently locked out of these cost savings,” said Mr Seton.

Bipartisan support for climate action in Queensland was celebrated by all parents when the LNP Opposition voted to legislate Queensland’s 75% by 2035 emissions reduction target in April 2024.

Nic Seton, CEO of Parents for Climate, said Queensland parents want to see the agreed 2035 emissions targets achieved, as promised, by future Queensland Governments.

But Mr Seton said recent comments by party leader David Crisafulli, suggesting that an LNP government would keep coal-fired power stations open ‘indefinitely’, have alarmed Queensland parents who want climate action for their kids.

“Queensland is already a world leader in rooftop solar uptake, with many families enjoying the financial benefits of lower energy bills,” said Mr Seton.

“And Queensland schools have led the country in installing air conditioning powered by cheap rooftop solar, to keep kids safe now and into the future. We want to see these initiatives extended to childcares and to the households that are currently locked out of these savings.

Media Release

EnergyAustralia, Australia's third largest carbon polluter, has taken its “carbon neutral” product off the shelf for new customers in the latest major corporate move away from marketing products with carbon offsetting. EnergyAustralia joins a wave of Australian companies, including Telstra, Australia Post, JCDecaux and PWC that are ditching “carbon neutral” claims.

EnergyAustralia has ceased the sale of its Go Neutral energy product to new customers, while continuing to grandfather the scheme for existing customers. 

Parents for Climate, represented by Equity Generation Lawyers, is suing EnergyAustralia in the Federal Court of Australia for misleading over 400,000 consumers about the climate impact of its products. The hearing is scheduled for May 2025. 

Parents for Climate alleges that EnergyAustralia continues to mislead customers by marketing its Go Neutral product as “carbon neutral” and having “a positive impact on the environment” when it is primarily generated by burning fossil fuels, which the company claims to have “offset” simply by buying carbon credits.

This will be the first Australian civil action brought against a company for marketing a consumer product as “carbon neutral” and follows recent declarations by lawmakers in the European Parliament to ban this act overseas.

When my son had his fifth birthday party, I made a rookie mistake: I forgot to add a gift instruction on the invitation.

His mum and I planned a simple party: cake, party bags, even pass-the-parcel (Lucky’s dad’s rules). But I didn’t anticipate the number of - albeit generous - plastic gifts his classmates had in store.

It was a small mountain. Shiny wrapping, colourful trucks, dolls, dinos, art craft, aircraft, and books. My son was ecstatic, which was fair. I, on the other hand, felt shocked. 

We have plenty of toys. All the classmates’ families needn’t have spent so much cash on these trinkets. Were we now obligated to do the same for each one of them? Had we just unintentionally started a local arms race, spending precious parent wages on increasingly expensive, intricately wrapped plastic miniatures?

With rising costs of living, some parents dread seeing another party invite for fear of having to buy another present. That’s not surprising given parents are reporting buying birthday presents anywhere from $10 to $100 in value per child. Multiply that by the average class size of 23 students and you can see why parents are on the lookout for a new approach to birthdays.

Media Release

Parents for Climate welcomes the release of the Senate report into the Climate Change Amendment (Duty of Care and Intergenerational Climate Equity) Bill 2023, particularly the dissenting reports made by Senator David Pocock and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, but remain disappointed by the report’s recommendation that the Bill not be passed.

Nic Seton, Parents for Climate CEO said “As parents, we have a duty of care to our kids, and make all kinds of sacrifices to give them the best future we can. When will the government enshrine its duty of care to protect our children’s health and wellbeing from climate impacts?

“Our kids’ lives will be shaped by the climate impacts of government decisions, but they don’t get a vote. As parents, we elect governments to do the right thing for our kids, but this decision maintains worsening climate conditions.

“This report is the latest example of excuses and obfustication that support more pollution instead of climate science. But parents are used to seeing through excuses and attempts to evade responsibility, and getting to the heart of the matter.

“The heart of the matter here is that it remains lawful to damage the climate our kids are growing up in. As parents who know our kids deserve a safe climate, it’s not good enough.”

Parents for Climate volunteers around Australia held workshops with schools, meetings with MPs, and submission writing sessions with parents, collecting over 860 parents who added their names in support of the Bill.

Parents for Climate is appalled by the NSW Government’s decision to back coal instead of clean energy by extending the life of Australia’s largest coal-fired power station, Eraring, near Newcastle.

Nic Seton, CEO for Parents for Climate said: “This go-slow decision on climate action undermines investment in clean energy and increases dangerous climate pollution that is harming NSW families now. Families struggling with bills want to see governments invest in long-term solutions that lower electricity bills, not expensive delays to our clean energy transition."

Thursday 16 May: Parents for Climate is excited to welcome improved standards to Australia’s cars – among the world's dirtiest. 

Nic Seton, CEO of Parents for Climate said: “This is a win for kids' health, clean air, and families who want cheaper-to-run cars. Now Australia can join the rest of the world in cleaning up our streets, instead of treating our kids’ lungs as air filters.

“Parents choose and use cars to support their kids. Polling shows that the majority of parents want cars that are cheaper to run and pollute less. The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard is an important piece of the puzzle in cleaning up our transport system and communities. Finally families will be able to access the same cleaner and cheaper to run vehicles that manufacturers have been sending to countries with fuel efficiency standards in place.

“Whether on the school run, or weekend adventure, families are really going to benefit from this policy through access to more choice and cleaner air. Whether you drive, or live near cars, this is the kind of policy that puts our kids’ health first, something we need to see more of when it comes to pollution.”

In response to the Albanese government’s Future Gas Strategy, Parents for Climate’s CEO Nic Seton said:

“This announcement to expand polluting gas for decades to come is a betrayal of our kids who rely on us to protect them from rising costs of living and extreme weather impacts.

“Parents rely on the government to do what’s right by our kids, but this plan treats big gas companies as more important than our children. And it’s our kids who will pay the price across their lifetimes, because more polluting gas means more damage to our communities, higher insurance bills and risks to food supply.

“The plan to expand fossil gas pollution is a slap in the face for the majority of Australian parents who voted for climate action in the last election. These parents trusted our government with a duty of care to protect young Australians from climate harm, and right now it is failing that trust.

“The Morrison government’s proposed “gas fired recovery” was a mistake, and the Albanese government’s Future Gas Strategy risks taking us down the same path. We need to focus on clean energy so that we can move away from polluting fuels as fast as possible to protect the next generation and provide them with a better quality of life.

Parents for Climate congratulates the Queensland Parliament today for passing the Clean Economy Jobs Bill that sets a strong emissions reduction target of 75 per cent by 2035.

The legislation of Queensland’s emissions reduction targets with support from the Liberal National Party (LNP) shows a willingness for a bipartisan approach to ensure a prosperous future and reduced emissions  in Queensland.

This is the third recent example of bipartisanship by states focused on reducing emissions, following support for similar legislation in New South Wales and Victoria.

Every day, more children discover they are living in a climate crisis. This makes many children feel sad, anxious, angry, powerless, confused and frightened about what the future holds.

The climate change burden facing young people is inherently unfair. But they have the potential to be the most powerful generation when it comes to creating change.

Research and public debate so far has largely failed to engage with the voices and opinions of children – instead, focusing on the views of adults. Our research set out to change this.

We asked 1,500 children to tell us what they wanted to know about climate change. The results show climate action, rather than the scientific cause of the problem, is their greatest concern. It suggests climate change education in schools must become more holistic and empowering, and children should be given more opportunities to shape the future they will inherit.

Questions of ‘remarkable depth’

In Australia, research shows 43% of children aged 10 to 14 are worried about the future impact of climate change, and one in four believe the world will end before they grow up.

Children are often seen as passive, marginal actors in the climate crisis. Evidence of an intergenerational divide is also emerging. Young people report feeling unheard and betrayed by older generations when it comes to climate change.

Our study examined 464 questions about climate change submitted to the Curious Climate Schools program in Tasmania in 2021 and 2022. The questions were asked by primary and high school students aged 7 to 18.

The children’s questions reveal a remarkable depth of consideration about climate change.

Kids are thinking globally

The impacts of climate change were discussed in 38% of questions. About 10% of questions asked about impacts on places, such as:

With the rate of climate change, what will the Earth be like when I’m an adult?

What does the melting of glaciers in Antarctica mean for Tassie (Tasmania) and our climate?

 

These questions demonstrate children’s understanding of the global scale of the climate crisis and their concern about places close to home.

How climate change will affect humans accounted for 12% of questions. Impacts on animals and biodiversity were the subject of 9% of questions. Examples include:

Will climate change make us live elsewhere, eg underwater or in space?

What species may become extinct due to climate change, which species could adapt to changing conditions and have we already seen this begin to happen?

 

Approximately 7% of questions asked about ice melting and/or sea-level rise, while 3% asked about extreme weather or disasters.

Saturday 16 March: Parents for Climate is backing in findings from new national polling released today that shows parents and carers with kids at home want more efficient cars, cheaper bills and cleaner air.  

The polling, commissioned by the Climate Council, shows an overwhelming majority of parents (86%) are feeling the pain of increasing petrol prices. Parents (60%) from across Australia support making cars more efficient through the Federal Government’s proposed New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. 

The majority of parents agree the proposed New Vehicle Efficiency Standard will help cut fuel costs (57%), and most (60%) say that if there were more choices of low and zero emission vehicles available, they would be interested in buying one to replace their current car. 

A recent report conducted by UNICEF Australia and Deloitte Access Economics highlights the profound impact of natural disasters on Australian children and the subsequent economic ramifications. The report underscores the urgent need for tailored policies and investments to address the unique vulnerabilities and challenges faced by children in the wake of climate-induced disasters.

You can find the report on UNICEF's site here.

Parents for Climate welcomes today’s announcement by the Liberal National Opposition to provide renters across the state greater access to cheap solar energy via a $3,500 grant to eligible landlords.

Nic Seton, CEO of Parents for Climate, said: “This announcement is a ray of sunshine for renters, who want to enjoy the cost savings of solar energy like everyone else. It’s great to see these sorts of initiatives that will speed up the rollout of rooftop solar and make sure landlords and renters can both share in the benefits. 

“Rooftop solar gives households more choices to manage their energy usage - they can wash the never ending pile of kids' laundry or run the air con in the middle of the day without worrying their energy bill will go through the roof."

“It also gives parents who want to drive electric vehicles the ability to charge their cars cheaply at home, rather than paying for petrol or diesel."

“We know from evidence around Australia that households with rooftop solar can save more than $1,000 per year on their energy bills. Queensland already has the highest rate of rooftop solar uptake in the country and this announcement will help ensure no household or family misses out.”

Laure Poncet, Research officer, UNSW Sydney
Andrew King Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne

Fire. Flood. Fire and flood together. Double-whammy storms. Unprecedented rainfall. Heatwaves. Climate change is making some of Australia’s weather more extreme. In 2023, the country was hit by a broad range of particularly intense events, with economy-wide impacts. Winter was the warmest in a record going back to 1910, while we had the driest September since at least 1900.

We often see extreme weather as distinct events in the news. But it can be useful to look at what’s happening over the year.

Today, more than 30 of Australia’s leading climate scientists released a report analysing ten major weather events in 2023, from early fires to low snowpack to compound events.

Can we say how much climate change contributed to these events? Not yet. It normally takes several years of research before we can clearly say what role climate change played. But the longer term trends are well established – more frequent, more intense heatwaves over most of Australia, marine heatwave days more than doubling over the last century, and short, intense rainfall events intensifying in some areas.

What happened in 2023?

January. Event #1: Record-breaking rain in the north (NT, WA, QLD)

The year began with above-average rainfall in northern Australia influenced by the “triple-dip” La Niña phase.

Some parts of the country were already experiencing heavy rainfall even before Cyclone Ellie arrived. From late December 2022 to early January 2023, Ellie brought heavy rainfall to Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland, resulting in a one-in-100-year flooding of the Fitzroy River. Interestingly, Cyclone Ellie was only a “weak” Category 1 tropical cyclone. So why did it cause so much damage? In their analysis, climate scientists suggest it was actually low wind speeds in the mid-troposphere which allowed the system to stall and keep raining.

February–March. Event 2: Extreme rain and food shortages (NT, QLD)

Climate scientists observed the same behaviour from late February to early March 2023, when a persistent slow-moving low-pressure system known as a monsoonal low dumped heavy, widespread rain over the Northern Territory and north-west Queensland. The resulting floods cut transport routes in the NT, and led to food shortages.

June–August. Event 3 and 4: Warmest winter, little snow (NSW)

After a wet start to the year, conditions became drier and warmer in southern and eastern Australia. New South Wales experienced its warmest winter on record, with daily maximums more than 2°C above the long-term average.

The unusual heat and lack of precipitation translated into the second-worst snow season on record (the worst was 2006).

Families in Western Australia are bearing the burden of extreme heat and fire risks this summer. Today, 28 schools in southern Western Australia are closed due to catastrophic fire conditions impacting more than 2000 students.

Federal and state governments could help the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector save up to $130 million annually in energy bills with the installation of rooftop solar and batteries, protecting early childhood centres from future energy price rises and reducing financial pressures on services and families, analysis from Parents for Climate has found. 

Depending on the location, childcare centres spent an estimated 14.7 per cent to 28.9 per cent more on energy bills in 2023 compared to the previous year, driving up costs for families already facing a well-documented cost of living crisis. 

Childcare in Australia is more costly than in most other OECD countries. In 2022, an Australian couple on average wages with two children spent 16 per cent of their net household income on net childcare costs, compared to the OECD average of 9 per cent.  

“Our analysis shows that while a small number of centres are already installing solar and saving money, the vast majority lack the capacity to access clean energy upgrades,” said Parents for Climate chief executive officer, Nic Seton.

“Most centres simply don’t have the time and expertise to navigate the options without assistance, and many cite initial costs as a further obstacle,” said Seton. 

At stake is an average saving of $12,400 to $14,600 per year in energy bills for early childhood centres if governments were to expand existing rooftop solar and battery installation support for state schools to the ECEC sector. 

The New South Wales and Queensland governments are piloting programs in state schools to install air conditioning powered by rooftop solar, but the ECEC sector enjoys no such targeted support.

According to Climate Energy Finance founder and director Tim Buckley, “A full rollout of solar on schools and early childhood centres would be the largest renewables project in Australia’s history, providing distribution-level grid stability opportunities, particularly as battery systems become more cost competitive.