Reimagine Christmas with Our Thoughtful Giving Guide

This Christmas, we’re transforming the season into something truly meaningful and planet-friendly. Inspired by the creativity of Parents for Climate supporters, our “Thoughtful Giving: How Parents Are Reimagining Christmas” guide is filled with simple, joyful ways to celebrate without the waste.

Discover secondhand treasures, planet-friendly wrapping ideas, unforgettable experiences, and gifts that give back to nature. It’s all about connection, care, and creating memories that last a lifetime.

👉 Add your details to download the guide today and make this holiday season one to cherish—for your family and the planet.

New research shows the vast majority of Australian families are struggling to afford household essentials, including food, and the high prices of oil and gas are driving up bills and crunching already stretched household budgets.

This comes as a new report from Parents for Climate and Climate Council, ‘Under Pressure’, examines how extreme weather is driving up insurance bills and finds parents are worried that climate change will make our cost of living crisis even worse. The report includes YouGov polling which shows:

• More than half of Australian families have reduced the amount or quality of food they’re buying and one third said their children had been impacted by a lower variety and quality of food.
• Insurance stress is causing 71% of parents to worry about higher premiums due to more intense and frequent unnatural disasters driven by climate pollution.
• Two in three families have cut back on heating and cooling their homes.
• The vast majority (71%) of parents are worried about both the rising cost of living and climate change.

Overwhelmingly, parents want access to popular solutions to our cost of living and climate crises, like solar panels, household batteries and energy efficient appliances. But many can’t afford the upfront costs or live in rentals, and need help from governments to access upgrades that cut bills and climate pollution at the same time.

Under Pressure, a report from Parents for Climate and Climate Council shows that oil and gas are making a material contribution to overall inflation. The price of oil and gas has risen much more than other goods, putting pressure on family budgets and pushing up inflation overall.

The report includes a survey of over 1,000 households across Australia and YouGov polling which shows:

• More than half of Australian families have reduced the amount or quality of food they’re buying and one third said their children had been impacted by a lower variety and quality of food.
• Insurance stress is causing 71% of parents to worry about higher premiums due to more intense and frequent unnatural disasters driven by climate pollution.
• Two in three families have cut back on heating and cooling their homes.
• The vast majority (71%) of parents are worried about both the rising cost of living and climate change.

Overwhelmingly, parents want access to popular solutions to our cost of living and climate crises, like solar panels, household batteries and energy efficient appliances. But many can’t afford the upfront costs or live in rentals, and need help from governments to access upgrades that cut bills and climate pollution at the same time.

 

 

 

Key findings

 

1. The climate crisis is driving up the costs of insurance for all Australians as extreme weather events become more common and intense, risks to life and property worsen and premiums rise in response.

• Pollution from coal, oil and gas is overheating our planet and driving worsening unnatural disasters. As the risk of property loss and damage increases, so do the premiums being charged by insurance companies.

• Collectively, Australians are paying $30 billion more today on insurance than they were only 10 years ago.

• Many households at higher risk of extreme weather are being priced out of insurance altogether, as it becomes more difficult or too expensive for people to source insurance.

 

2. Australians are paying much more today to power their homes with gas, or refuel their cars. Higher costs for oil and gas are also fuelling inflation, which increases the price of many other everyday items.

• Petrol and diesel costs have increased significantly. Filling up a 70-litre tank of petrol costs about $30 more now than it did at the start of 2020.

• With transport costs embedded in many items we commonly buy, this is a key driver of inflation, and affects the price of everyday items like groceries.

• Heating homes with gas has become increasingly expensive, with the gas bill for a four- bedroom home in Victoria jumping up by as much as $750 per year since 2020.

• Many businesses, from restaurants to office buildings, are also paying more for heating, cooling or cooking that’s powered by polluting gas. These costs are ultimately passed onto their customers, and are another driver of inflation.

• The recent peak in inflation was the highest in more than 30 years, and has seen the cost of everyday items increase by 22 percent on average since 2020. Our analysis shows the price of petrol, diesel and gas have all risen two to three times higher than that - making a bad situation even worse.

Take Action: Make your voice heard

Help us get this report in front of every politician in the country and create the change we want to see!

Australia is already a world leader in rooftop solar. Now is time to include those who are being left behind with rising oil and gas costs. We need support for a rapid uptake of rooftop solar, electric vehicles, household batteries and the removal of expensive gas appliances from family homes. It's a critical moment to affect key state and federal decisions. Will you show your MP the report findings?

Together we can convince our leaders to create real, long-term relief from cost of living pressures, whilst also reducing emissions. But we need to act to have impact.

Follow the guides below for Australian representatives

My kids were late for school today. Not because we overslept, but because I wanted them to feel comfortable and loved, no matter how long it takes to put on their shoes. I just smiled and felt the overwhelming urge to protect what we love.

Let's face it, the US election feels like a big deal for our kids climate. It might be. But what happens next is up to us.

As the US elects an administration that will harm global climate action, it is clear we have more work to do. Let us gather our strength and hold fast. 

It’s far from game over and momentum is on our side. But momentum requires our energy. 

Momentum is a formula: speed times mass. Every one of us can contribute to the speed of climate action through our own actions. And every one of us is required to build a mass capable of unstoppable change. 

That’s why I’m calling on you, to help build the resources we need to engage a million parents in actively supporting climate solutions in the lead up to the Australia election in a few month’s time.

Start a fundraiser and raise a few bucks to power our plan to build community support for climate action where its needed most.

Justin Medcalf is a Financial Adviser at Australia’s oldest ethical and impact investment advisory practice, Ethinvest, having worked in the financial planning industry since 2004.

After founding an ethical investment advisory firm in 2008, he joined forces with Ethinvest and 10 other practices to establish the Ethical Advisers’ Co-op, before launching Australia’s first responsible investment-dedicated investment platform.

Justin is the former Head of Innovation (Wealth) at Bendigo Bank and spent most of the last decade on the board of the peak ethical and responsible investment (RI) industry body, RIAA. During this time, he helped shape the mainstreaming of RI through the globally recognised Certification Program.

Connect with Justin on Linked In. 

"I have been fortunate enough to work closely with Parents for Climate for a couple of years now and I have seen first-hand their unique ability to have a significant impact on a distinct part of the community  that is quite often overlooked by conventional climate change advocacy. Parents for Climate also have been able to have very impactful cut through with Members of Parliament, due to their ability to speak to young families, which is a demographic that every MP is very concerned about. Moving forward, Parents for Climate will play an essential role with moving middle Australia and the political class to a sensible position on action on climate change."

                                                                              - Lachlan Crombie, Director - Political Engagement, PremierState

"In the short time Parents for Climate has been around, the group has grown from a squeak to a roar. The potential this group has in both engaging and empowering new audiences across Australia is enormous. From meeting with politicians to sharing lived experiences and concerns with the media - be it a local paper or a national morning news - the Climate Media Centre is excited to continue to support and work with the team to help advance meaningful and credible action on climate in Australia."

- Jolee Wakefield, Director, Climate Media Centre

"Australian Parents for Climate Action (AP4CA) are probably the leading grassroots organisation working for a safe climate right now. Their brand and digital media is professional, well targeted yet accessible, their tactics and activities are well developed and deployed. 

Their target audience – everyday Australian parents who are concerned about climate change - is the most important in order to persuade our political and corporate leaders to lift their ambition commensurate with what scientific opinion tells us is required. AP4CA is an essential part of the climate movement in Australia, and one of the most effective."

                                                                              - Gavan McFadzean, Program Manager – Climate & Energy, Australian                                                                                      Conservation Foundation

"AP4CA is an important new constituency-based group with a quickly growing membership-base and passionate volunteers. Its talented and outcome oriented team have demonstrated that they can achieve significant policy impact while growing this new organisation into what could eventually be one of the most influential in the country. The voices of thousands of parents will continue to highlight both the threat of the changing climate and the many opportunities associated with the transition we must make."

- Daniel Pediaditis, Senior Program Manager - Environment &  Sustainability, Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation

"Australian Parents for Climate Action plays a key role in engaging parents across Australia who are concerned about climate but not yet active, by making climate action accessible to busy parents. This is a key constituency to engage if we are to achieve bi-partisan support for the solutions required to urgently tackle the climate crisis. This is why I am proud to support their professional and inspiring work."

- Eytan Lenko, Lenko Family Foundation

"Australian Parents for Climate Action are a young, but fast-growing advocacy organisation. I think they have particular potential to add significant value in influencing the toxic partisan block on good climate policy at the federal level. 

AP4CA’s supporters and target audience cross the spectrum of conservative, swinging and progressive voters. Climate spokespeople who are parents can powerfully influence candidates of all stripes to increase their party’s climate commitments. Parents make especially powerful spokespeople in their local communities and local media, as the protectors of their children, and through being closely connected to their communities. I would love to see their parent climate spokespeople work expanded as a critical part of the climate movement’s federal plans, both short and long term."

                                                                    - Dr. Barry Traill, Moving to Bipartisanship Federal Advocacy Project,                                                                                            Climate Action Network Australia

"Organisations such as AP4CA play an essential role in educating and building support in the community for climate action. Thank you for your continuing advocacy."

- Hon. Matt Kean, NSW Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Environment, MP for Hornsby. Dec 2021.

"I think you're really important crew and can continue to make a big difference over the next couple of years. You're right in the middle of it."

- Rob Oakeshott, former NSW Independent MP. Nov 2022

"I run a consulting business providing advice to nonprofit leaders on how to develop impact strategies that inspire sophisticated philanthropic funders. I base my advice on my experience as both a funder and a fundraiser. I have analysed and worked with a large number of climate and environment organisations over the years. 

I was happy to take on the volunteer role as Advisor to Australian Parents for Climate Action because I was so impressed with their strategy and team. I don’t have much capacity to do volunteer work as I am also the primary carer of two awesome girls, but I had to make an exception in this case. 

In my view, Australian Parents for Climate Action have an excellent strategy, talented staff, amazing volunteers and relentless passion and energy. The incredible outcomes they have achieved in such a short time are proof to me that they are a high impact organisation."

- Dr Samantha Hardy, Sam Hardy Philanthropy. Advisor to Australian Parents for Climate Action. 

"I selected Australian Parents for Climate Action as a high-potential young organisation to join our 2020 Progress Labs incubator, and in 2021 as a priority group for Australian Progress mentorship. Their rapid growth and impact in their short 2.5 years has been extremely impressive. 

They carefully considered theory of change, messaging and campaigns serve to powerfully reach a huge untapped target audience of parents not yet engaged on climate. The size, geographic spread, moral, economic and voting power of this audience holds considerable potential to influence climate politics at all levels of government. AP4CA have demonstrated their ability to engage, empower and amplify this audience in the media and to MPs.

I’ve found Suzie, Marie and the Australian Parents for Climate Action team an absolute pleasure to work with. They’re dedicated, perceptive, supportive leaders who nurture and inspire a passionate team of staff, volunteers and supporters. I’ve found them very open to alternative ideas, constructive criticism, and a collaborative approach, which has served them well in building a broad network of support and allies within the climate movement and beyond.

Over our six-month incubator program, I saw them carefully research, develop, test, revise and roll out their ambitious Solar Our Schools campaign, which has produced remarkable results in terms of public and political support over a short time frame. I am excited to see what they can achieve as their capacity increases - and Australian Progress is proud to continue to support them."

- Elise Dalley, Impact Director, Australian Progress

"I know that the power of collective community action is the most effective way for our country to move forward towards a safer and healthier future - together... Parents for Climate gives a voice and support to families... Our leaders need to see the groundswell of community support for climate action, and Parents for Climate are a proven vehicle to empower a community to stand up and make progress happen."

- Andrea, Local organiser South Australian action group

"I’m so glad I have found a group of people who understand. This group has already made me feel more hopeful than I have in a long time and I’m inspired to get active."

- Michaela, Mum and Teacher, Gold Coast QLD.

"Living in a regional community this group makes me remember I am not alone and that every action, big or small, makes a difference. This group is full of valuable information, simple and inspiring actions to take and optimism. And as a parent to young kids, it caters to me. Thank you Parents for Climate."

- Hannah, mum of 2. Wynyard, North West TAS.

"It feels good to know there are other people concerned about our children’s future and who are acting on that. It is nice to meet up with other active people at marches etc, it encourages me to attend knowing I’ll be part of a group even if I haven’t met them yet. I also find the social media posts informative and I like the way they make writing to politicians about climate issues easy. I feel better informed and stronger in my action thanks to Parents for Climate."

- Caileen, parent of 3, Bradfield, NSW.

Interested in a Parents for Climate sticker or t-shirt?

Want to see the government support Australia's largest-ever clean energy project in this May's federal Budget?

Join the Solar Our Learning signup challenge!

To help supercharge the Solar our Learning campaign (and get some sweet swag)

1. Click on the open letter link to get your personalised sharing links! (If you can’t see them, you’ll need to sign the open letter yourself first.)
   
   
   
2. Use those links to share the open letter on the platform of your choice, and the leaderboard below will track how many people you’ve gotten to sign up
   
   
3. For every ten signatures you get by Budget night, we’ll send you a Parents for Climate sticker. Or if you’re more ambitious, for every hundred, we’ll send you a t-shirt!

Want more information? Want to see what the stickers and t-shirts look like? Check out the challenge page here!

229 signatures

300 recruited signatures

Top 5 solarourlearning_signup_recruiters

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1

Melanie Cooke

61 recruited signatures

2

Robert Chan

23 recruited signatures

3

Julia Parkin

19 recruited signatures

4

Emma Young

15 recruited signatures

5

Sonya Elek

11 recruited signatures

Help us grow this movement!

Share this campaign with your networks and help build an unstoppable wave of positive public support for Solar Our Learning.

• Help recruit 10+ new supporters and we'll send you a bumper sticker 🥰
• Help recruit 100+ new supporters and we'll send you a t-shirt!

Anyone referred through your personal tracking link or thorough the buttons on this page will be credited to you.

Keep your community safe this Summer and help to amplify parent voices.

Across Australia families are experiencing the impacts of extreme weather. Extreme weather made worse by burning coal and gas. 

Heatwaves, severe storms and flooding are threatening the health, wellbeing and livelihoods of Australian families. 

Low-income families are often disproportionately impacted by extreme weather events.

The voices and stories of Australian families are under-represented when it comes to the impacts of extreme weather events. And the media is not connecting the dots on what is driving the increased severity of heat and summer storms.

Parents for Climate is campaigning for long-term solutions. But summer and extreme weather is already upon us, so we also need to look out for each other and help keep each other safe.

Sign up now and we will email you:

• Essential tips for staying cool and navigating the heat
• Key resources for keeping safe in extreme weather
  
• Our guide on how to connect with others in your community to keep each other safer

We’ll also provide opportunities for you to share your story so we can let more people know what Australian families are facing, how they are supporting each other and the actions that will make a difference.

Gill Armstrong, Climateworks Centre and Michael Ambrose, CSIRO

Millions of homes were built before Australia introduced housing energy efficiency standards in 2003. They’re leaky. Gaps around windows, doors and between building materials allow air to move in and out. So people tend to compensate, with more heating and cooling. It’s costly and damaging for the environment.

We hop in the car to get groceries or drop kids at school. But while the car is convenient, these short trips add up in terms of emissions, pollution and petrol cost.

Close to half (44%) of all Australian commuter trips are by car – and under 10km. Of Perth’s 4.2 million daily car trips, 2.8 million are for distances of less than 2km.

It’s great to meet you. Let’s connect and collaborate further. 

Did you know?

There are +12 million parents in Australia. Isn't that a powerful force for positive change?

Will you back our mission?

"Empower millions of Australian parents to champion climate action within their communities, the media, business and politicians."

Our impact speaks for itself and we’ve got big plans to scale our outcomes. Can you help us scale our mission? Enter your details below 👇

Could you be our next partner?

At Parents for Climate, we believe that partnerships are the key to our future success in securing a safe climate for our children. To achieve this vision we need to reach and engage as many Aussie parents as possible. That’s where you come in!

Nic Seton

CEO, Parents for Climate

What decisions do you make for the love of your kids?

How do the young people you love affect your choices as a consumer and as a citizen?

Join us for an intimate discussion with experts into how Australians are shaping the future for the love of their kids.

See you at 6:00 - 7:30 PM, Tuesday 7 November, Canva Space and connect with experts!

Contact us today and be a partner. 

Join us, and together, we'll unlock a future filled with possibilities as we embark on a journey.

At Parents for Climate, we believe that partnerships are the key to achieving greatness and success as we joined forces, driven by our passion to invest and create a safer environment for the younger generation. 

Partner with us now.

© 2023 Parents for Climate. All rights reserved.

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Authorised by Nic Seton, Parents for Climate, Sydney

Parents for Climate strongly opposes the proposed three-year ban by the federal government on litigation over misleading climate claims.

Representing more than 17,000 supporters, Parents for Climate filed a claim against EnergyAustralia in August for false or misleading advertising, saying the company’s GoNeutral product misled consumers into thinking it had no polluting impact on the climate.

This year, the Australian government rejected Clive Palmer’s coal mine proposal – but approved three others. Over 100 more fossil fuel projects are in the decision pipeline.

Why are we still approving coal projects when climate impacts are intensifying? There is, as the International Energy Agency has pointed out, no place for new fossil fuels if we have a chance of holding global heating to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Our existing fossil fuel infrastructure is enough to blow our remaining carbon budget.

We’ve shortened our name to Parents for Climate, it’s easier to say and remember. This will help us reach and engage even more parents, carers, and grandparents in securing a safe climate for our kids to thrive. Nic Seton, Parents for Climate CEO, explains how this small change can help make a big difference.

Every day, parents provide safety, comfort and strength to their families.

We make lunches. We give hugs. We mend wounds. And we solve problems.

But climate change is more than any one parent can bear. Sure we all have a role to play, but big actors, like governments and businesses, have so far failed to do what it takes to secure a safe climate for our kids. So we’re left with little choice but to rally together, united by the love we share for our children, to secure ambitious climate action for the love of our kids.

That’s what Parents for Climate was created to do. And over four years, tens of thousands of parents have stepped up to play their part. We've engaged millions of voters and moved millions of dollars in funding to deploy climate solutions. But time is running out. And it will take many more  parents to join forces to achieve our aim. 

Did you know that Parents for Climate has made 14 formal submissions to our various national, state and local Governments this year alone? Each submission is carefully presented to the relevant State or Federal Government authority, as a powerful voice representing parent’s interests, and in balance to the Industry or Trade lobbies.

One of our recent submission was in response to the Government Climate Change Authority (CCA) request for submission on Setting, Tracking and Achieving Australia’s emissions reduction targets – a critical subject in that if the government body tasked with policing emissions only receives submissions from Industry emitters….. well, we can guess the outcome!