Nicole and Harry, both studying for a Bachelor of Environment and Society at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, are undertaking internships at CACE toward their qualification. Their work with be added to the 'Post-declaration nuts and bolts clearinghouse'. Nicole will focus on gathering examples of low-cost programs and polices the council can adopt toward its climate emergency response and Harry will focus on council for models for facilitating energy efficient building retrofits.

As of 1 July 2019, 719 councils across 16 countries have declared a climate emergency. With the first to declare in December 2016, the number of councils that has declared has doubled in the past four months, as made available in the global list managed by CEDAMIA.

Moreover the New York City has declared and a number of nations have joined including Canada. This upward momentum to central governments was a goal when the council climate emergency campaign was first developed. 

CACE is seeking partners international to lead CACE campaigns in their own countries. Activities would include but not be limited to:

• help facilitate development of a climate emergency declaration tool for your country
• translate relevant documents into your language
• engage councillors 
• help build community campaigns.

Please contact CACE to learn more. 

Since mid-January 2019, Adrian and Bryony from CACE have been campaigning (and touring) in Europe. Adrian will be in EU until on 12 March and is currently firming up his schedule, with meetings so far in Zurich, Helsinki, Sweden, Bonn, Brussels and Copenhagen. 

Meetings and presentations to date have focused on the UK but also include continental meetings, as in the list below.  Most engagements have been very fruitful. CACE's goals have included not only spreading the campaign but also getting a proper climate emergency response from councils that have declared. 

1. FOE - London presentation 
2. Oxford - public presentation. ~100 attendees at Oxford Town Hall
3. Stroud councillors meeting (12+ councillors)
4. Forest of Dean (~12 campaigners and councillors)
5. Heresford presentation ~20 Extinction Rebellion attendees )
6. Met with staff from Centre for Alternative Tech in Wales
7. Public presentation at Green Drinks in Manchester (about ~35 attendees, one councillor)
8. Met with FOE in Leeds 
9. Public presentation in Norwich (~25 attendees)
10. Met with a London enviro staff officer. 
11. Met with Bristol councillors and local Extinction Rebellion campaigner. 
12. Public presentation Graz, Austria, ~25 attendees. (organised by 'System Change, Not Climate Change')
13. Met with staff of Hungarian ENGO 
14. Met with 'Rain for Climate' researcher, Vlado Zaujec, in Prague with related people

Over 350 councils across four countries have now declared a climate emergency with the vast majority declaring since November 2018. The momentum is staggering. CEDAMIA has been tracking and mapping the progress.

Maribyrnong in Victoria, Australia, declared this week following a targeted community campaign. Sarah Rickard, who led the campaign, has kindly provided a summary document of what the campaign group undertook to get all councillors on board. Follow this link.

The photo below shows Sarah and other campaigners with the Maribyrnong councillors, holding their statements of support for the Climate Emergency Declaration.

It seems that every week now, another council is passing motions to recognise the climate emergency. The long silence that followed Darebin's climate emergency motion in 2016 is now popping with declarations almost weekly, not just in Australia but around the world. 

Following Byron Shire's motion on 18 October we have seen similar motions by Ballarat (a second regional Australian Council), Bristol (the first UK Council) and Totnes (the second UK council).

A distinction can be made between councils that plan to declare a climate emergency committing to mobilisation of resources and those just passing motions to recognise the emergency.  The lists are as follows. Acknowledgement motions only are underlined.

Which council will be next?

Byron Shire has become the first NSW council to declare a climate emergency.

Cr Cate Coorey introduced the motion and referring to other Australian councils following Darebin's lead. The motion passed by the council on 18 October 2018 is as follows:
18-680 Resolved: 
1. That Council:
a) notes the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC);
b) notes the Federal government’s latest emissions data showing we are increasing, not reducing our carbon emissions;
c) declares that we are in a state of climate emergency that requires urgent action by all levels of government, including by local councils, and
d) acknowledges that Byron Shire is likely to be substantially affected by climate impacts, particularly sea level rise, bushfires, drought and floods.
2. That the recommendation be added to the Agenda of the upcoming Sustainable Emission Reduction Advisory Committee meeting for their input to convene a community-led Climate Emergency Guidance Group that provides a report as to how Council may assist;
3. That the Guidance Group develops a Shire-wide Community Climate Emergency Plan to further enhance resilience and reduce climate impacts in a timeframe that is as fast as practicably possible;
4. That Council, calls upon the State and Federal Governments to:
a) declare a climate emergency, and
b) to back this up with legislated programs to drive emergency action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet the lower of the Paris Agreements at 1.5%
5. That Council writes to the Member for Ballina, Tamara Smith, the Parliamentary Secretary for Northern NSW, Ben Franklin, the Member for Richmond, Justine Elliot, the NSW Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton and the Federal Environment Minister Melissa Price, advising them of Council’s resolution and urges them to acknowledge a climate emergency and to act with urgency to address the crisis.
6. That Council encourages neighbouring Local Government Areas to join with us by declaring a climate emergency, developing their own Climate Emergency Plans and advocating to State and Federal governments as per point (5).
​
The declaration is covered in the local paper here.