How to bring your concerns about global warming to your local MP

How to bring your concerns about global warming to your local MP

The Uniting Advocacy Team is interested in talking to Uniting Church members who want to help shape our nation’s policies on global warming in the lead up to the next Federal election.

These conversations are even more timely in the lead up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November. At this conference the world’s nations will revisit the commitments they made to reduced emissions under the Paris Agreement.

Sadly, our nation is lagging behind the commitments and actions being taken by many other nations across the world, including our major trading partners. Many climate and energy experts agree we need a purposeful transition to an economy based on renewable energy rather than fossil fuels. Many businesses and industries are already taking seriously the need to drastically reduce our emissions by 2030. These steps are necessary both to reduce the risk of severely damaging climate change and to ensure our future national prosperity by taking advantage of our enormous natural advantages in renewable energy.

The Uniting Church Assembly has called for this transformation. The Assembly statement #BuildBackBetter: A Just Recovery Post-COVID-19 urges that:

“ ….Australian governments take the same coordinated, farsighted and science-informed approach to tackling climate change as was done for COVID 19, by leading a renewables-based economic recovery that creates jobs and delivers climate justice for all communities and our global neighbours.”

All this is why we are inviting Uniting Church members to consider being part of climate conversations with your Federal MP before the next election.  The idea is simple: we want to gather a small group of Uniting Church members in as many electorates as possible to seek a meeting with their local MP. You don’t have to be an expert on the science of climate change or energy policy. You simply have to care about the issue of climate change and be willing to share why you care, and what you want our Federal government to be doing about it, now and after the next election.

The Uniting Advocacy team will provide support and encouragement for groups to arrange and hold their meeting. We will also be offering some optional training on different aspects of meeting with an MP. Topics will include:

  • MP Meetings 101 – Arranging and planning for a successful climate conversation meeting.
  • Discussing Climate – How to have value- based conversationand increase motivation for action on climate.
  • Involving Others –Engaging others in climate action for MP meetings and beyond.
  • Bumps in the Road – Planning for and handling potential issues and objections for MP meetings and future climate action.

Training will be online on the Tuesday evenings of 26 October and 2, 9, and 16 November.

You can attend all or any of the sessions. Our aim is to support not only having an impactful climate conversation with your MP on this occasion, but also developing the skills and knowledge that will enable those wanting to engage in ongoing action.

You can register for the training here.

For more information, contact Alice Salomon, asalomon@uniting.org Mob: 0438 207 708  or  Jon O’Brien, joobrien@uniting.org  Mob: 0477 725 528.

The Uniting Advocacy Team

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