Since July 2020, we have united more than 11,000 parents behind Solar Our Schools - asking the Federal Government to fund solar and batteries for every school and early childhood centre in Australia.

We are now calling on individual states and territories to progress a state and federal partnership on Solar Our Schools.

So far, State Governments have made wildly differing levels of progress towards putting solar and batteries on public schools, with absolutely no support for solar and batteries on independent schools or early childhood centres.

We need your help! Write to your State Education Ministers asking them to work in partnership with the Federal Government, to support funding Solar Our Schools and remove barriers to its implementation.

Click on your location to write a letter to your State's Education Minister: NSW Vic Qld SA WA Tas NT ACT

What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?

Sign and share the Open Letter.

Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.

Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.

----------------------------------------------

Infographic sources:

Federal: http://www.industry.gov.au/Energy/EnergyEfficiency/Documents/NSSP-Evaluation-Report-Final.pdf, p13

NSW: https://nsw.liberal.org.au/Shared-Content/News/2020/POWERING-OUR-PUBLIC-SCHOOLS-INTO-THE-FUTURE/ and https://www.solarmyschool.org.au/

Vic: https://reneweconomy.com.au/victoria-seeks-600mw-wind-and-solar-to-power-hospitals-schools-and-trains-20495/

Qld: https://qed.qld.gov.au/programs-initiatives/det/building-education/major-projects-and-initiatives/advancing-clean-energy-schools-program 

SA: South Australian Department of Education

WA: https://reneweconomy.com.au/w-a-to-spend-66m-on-solar-and-batteries-for-schools-communities-and-social-housing-92719/ 

https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2020/09/McGowan-Government-launches-solar-schools-program-for-regions.aspx#:~:text=Education%20and%20Training%20Minister%20Sue,public%20schools%20throughout%20Western%20Australia.

Tas: Tasmanian Renewable Energy Alliance Inc.

NT: http://newsroom.nt.gov.au/mediaRelease/31965

ACT: https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/management-national-solar-schools-program

Image: Map Australia Divided In States from Vector.me

After months of lockdown, parents are rising to the challenge to express their hopes for a climate-safe future in innovative ways, to support the School Strikes for Climate on Friday October 15.

“From gathering for storytime with their children outside Barnaby Joyce’s office in Tamworth; creating “rock art” activism at Parliament House in Canberra, upcycling climate t-shirts in Pakenham, to hosting a mini eco-festival on the Sunshine with electric vehicles and live music, I am inspired by the growing momentum of parents who are concerned about climate change and now they are calling our politicians to act”, said Australian Parent for Climate Actions National Community Organiser Laura Grufus, who herself is creating a School Strike 4 Climate themed Spoonville in her local park in Geelong.

How do you overcome the awkward, have great climate conversations and transform your community to take more action on climate?

Welcome to our recording of this free online training, to help empower yourself.

You’ll learn 5 top tips for effective climate conversations – to build your confidence and knowledge in having conversations from Climate for Change’s Ajaya Haikerwal.  And have an exclusive opportunity to hear about upcoming key political opportunities to make the next year a huge one for climate action.

FIND OUT MORE:

Poll after poll shows the vast majority of the Australian community want climate action urgently.

But many people who are concerned about climate change – people we all know, like friends, family and colleagues – do not act on climate change, they may even find it hard to engage in conversations about it. Why is that? Find out and empower yourself to have effective conversations that will help shift the inactive into action. Only then will we gain the momentum needed to shift the dial on this issue. 

DURING THE WEBINAR WE EXPLORE:

• 5 top tips for effective climate conversations – build your confidence and knowledge in having conversations through these handy frameworks with Climate for Change’s Partnership Manager Ajaya Haikerwal. 
• Plus have time to connect with amazing community members from across the movement – and work together to identify which people in your life you will have conversations with this year
• The why and who of climate action – hear the inside scoop from ACF’s Climate Change Program Manager Gavan McFadzean on:
  • The key political opportunities we have to make 2021/22 a huge year for climate action
  • Why people who are concerned about climate are so politically relevant, and important for us to motivate them to act.

• Federal election plans – movement partners Australian Parents 4 Climate Action, CANA Network Support Team, Climate for Change, Doctors for the Environment Australia and Australian Conservation Foundation will all share their plans for the federal election with you.

We can’t wait to work together on using our voices to motivate others to act. 

This webinar was co-hosted by a team of Climate Action Network Australia (CANA) partners: Australian Parents 4 Climate Action, CANA Network Support Team, Climate for Change, Doctors for the Environment Australia, Australian Conservation Foundation

21 May 2021

Thousands of parents and grandparents around Australia are being schooled by student Climate Strikers, at colourful local events calling for climate action.

Suzie Brown, mother and National Director of Australian Parents for Climate Action said: “Australian parents are joining their kids to take the day off work and school to attend the Climate Strikes today. The School Strike 4 Climate leaders are still teenagers, but they are showing Australian adults what leadership on climate change looks like.”

“As parents we have to be there in solidarity with our kids who, let’s face it, are going to be the ones to really bear the brunt of more droughts, storms and fires if we don’t act on the dire science warnings about climate change,” said Brown.

The Australian Parents for Climate Action (AP4CA) local group network is a critical source of power to effect change and protect our children’s future. We have local AP4CA groups across all Australian states and territories, check out the locations below.

They're welcoming and supportive, and we would love to meet you online or in person! If you are a parent, carer, family member or anyone who cares about kids, to advocate for urgent action on climate. Get involved!

Our Parent Groups are action-oriented, locally connected and all over the country. We plan family-friendly, non-partisan activities that engage communities, engage politicians in climate solutions, and amplify positive stories.

Why join a local group of parents who care about a safe climate?

• Connect with families in your local community
• Empower and educate your community with positive solutions
• Win local and national campaigns
• Develop constructive relationships with key decision makers
• Amplify positive stories through local and social media
• Build and strengthen a strong climate movement across the country

If there is no local group near you, please email us to see if we can connect you with local parents who want to take action on climate. Or perhaps you'd like to start a group in your local area? We'd love to support you.

Join forces with us! 

We invite you to join our growing community of 15,000 + parents and carers who are working together to ensure a safer climate for our children. 

By joining forces we can create the will to drive greater action from government, big business and within our local communities.

We are united by our love for our kids and grandkids and guided by our vision for a safe, prosperous future for all children.

Sign up to receive the latest news, events and actions you can get involved in.

We look forward to welcoming you!

We need your help to make a colourful, memorable impact on Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge to get him on board our Solar Our Schools campaign — to install solar panels and batteries at every school and preschool in Australia.

Australian Parents for Climate Action lodged a Pre-Budget Submission to the Federal government to include funding for Solar Our Schools in the May 2021 budget, and many of our supporters wrote a personal submission in support of Solar Our Schools — thank you, legends!

But so far our requests for Federal funding for Solar Our Schools, and our request for a meeting with Minister Tudge, have fallen on deaf ears, so we need to make sure he can hear the voices of the 11,000-plus parents and children across Australia who support Solar Our Schools!

Insiders tell us that letters and artwork from children make it to the top of the pile of Ministers' correspondence — so your kids artwork will get noticed in a way that letters from us adults won't!

Here’s how you can help:

1. Make a Time to Shine artwork with your child (check out our inspiration board below)

Create a sun artwork with a “sun clock” theme to convey the message to Minister Tudge that the clock is ticking on the need to reduce our carbon emissions, and we need him to advocate for funding Solar Our Schools! 

Older kids can write a letter — or make a TikTok video! — explaining why Solar Our Schools is a no-brainer. Here are some points they could mention:

• Solar and batteries on every school and preschool in Australia will lower school energy costs, create local jobs and lower carbon emissions!
• The Federal Government has fallen behind the states on renewable energy infrastructure investment. It’s time for the Federal Government to come to the party and shine on our schools!
• With a Federal election and the Glasgow COP26 conference both looming, now is the time for our Federal government to invest in renewable energy infrastructure that reduces our carbon emissions and creates green jobs across Australia!

2. Send your Time to Shine creations to Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge

Hon Alan Tudge MP

Minister for Education and Youth

PO Box 6022

House of Representatives

Parliament House

Canberra ACT 2600

(02) 6277 7350

[email protected] 

NB: If you are sending Minister Tudge your Time to Shine artwork or letters in the mail, take a photo of them before you send them off. 

3. Share your Time to Shine creations with us

Share photos of your artwork and letters and/or your videos on social media with the hashtags #SolarOurSchools and #TimetoShine, and our handle @ap4ca. 

If you want to tag Minister Tudge, his handles are: @tudgeMP (Facebook), @alan_tudge (Instagram) and @AlanTudgeMP (Twitter).

Also, please email them to [email protected] for us to share with our supporters so we can encourage others to send a message to Minister Tudge!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

28 JANUARY 2021

AUSTRALIAN PARENTS for Climate Action has renewed calls for the Federal Government to prioritise funding for solar panels on every school and early childhood education centre in Australia, ahead of the deadline for public submissions for the next Federal Budget.