What we do

The Adelaide Hills Climate Action Group is a community group started in mid-2007 and made up of people with a wide range of backgrounds, from all over the Adelaide Hills region, who are concerned about climate change and its impacts, and who want to promote and take part in positive action.

Our members backgrounds include meteorology and climate science, climate policy, education at all levels, primary industries agencies, water utilities, local council, small business, hills agricultural enterprises, permaculture, students, sustainable architecture, concerned mums and a couple of Al Gore trained climate change presenters.

Since the inception of the group, we have conducted many public awareness raising sessions through the Adelaide Hills, hosted two pre-Federal election local candidate climate change and social justice question sessions, as well as taking stalls into hills agricultural, eco and sustainability fairs. Several members have strong interests and expertise around climate mitigation policy and contribute strongly to this area. We also have good links into local councils with members on the Adelaide Hills Council Sustainability Group, and with Mount Barker Council. Other activities include re-vegetation projects and film and discussion nights around sustainable community.

If you are concerned about climate change, and what to take some positive steps towards addressing this issue than please get in touch with us. You don't have to be an Adelaide Hills resident, as we are interested in developing our networks everywhere. You could simply join our email list and receive information about climate and sustainable living activities and events across the Adelaide region, or come along to our monthly meetings and take whatever part you are able in positive change and action in the community!!

• Our group members recognise that climate change is a threat to our community and society at all levels.
• Climate change presents strong equity challenges because impacts will be borne more by our children and future generations, and those in developing countries who have less resources to draw upon, while being responsible for proportionally less of the problem.
• This will require active involvement across the community, locally, nationally, and globally, to take action.
• So we aim to promote community awareness and co-operation.

While our group consists of members with a range of views, our policy towards targets for climate change emissions reflects the best understanding of climate science.

Our Vision

Our vision incorporates:

• The development of energy efficiency projects across all scales, as the most cost effective way to reduce emissions.
• The rapid development and deployment of renewable energy technologies such as wind, solar thermal and photovoltaics and geothermal energy systems.
• Global emissions reduced by at least 80% by 2030. This is a recognised as a high target, but is what climate science indicates is needed to have a reasonable likelihood of avoiding possible disastrous consequences.
• As a consequence, we do not support the current proposed Australian Federal Government Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, as the very modest targets and mechanisms proposed for the scheme are nowhere near sufficient for the scale of the challenge we are faced with ( more analysis of the CPRS scheme is available here AHCAG Climate Policy ).
• Climate friendly and sustainable community involves much improved public transport facilities, community centred urban planning, reduced food mileage, and community gardens.
• The promotion of concerted action and policy frameworks across all levels of government that promote the activities above.