Politicians have been proclaiming climate change as the great moral challenge of our time for years – but not much has happened, and we are running out of time.

COTA NSW President Joan Hughes will be joined by Clive Hamilton, Peter Holding, Rebecca Huntley, Emma Bacon and Joshua Gilbert to discuss this crucial issue for the future.

Clive Hamilton is the Professor of Public Ethics at Charles Sturt University and a member of the Board of the Climate Change Authority. He is the author of 18 books, including Requiem for a Species: Why we resist the truth about climate change and has been writing about climate change and climate policy for the past 20 years.

Peter Holding is a third-generation farmer in south east NSW, growing crops such as canola and wheat, as well as running sheep for wool. He works with Farmers for Climate Action and has extensive knowledge and first hand experience with the strategies farmers can use to manage and adapt to climate change.

Rebecca Huntley is an author and researcher on social trends, and was the Director of the Mind and Mood Report for nearly nine years. She works closely with The Sunrise Movement on the Climate Compass project, and recently released How to Talk About Climate Change in a Way That Makes a Difference.

Emma Bacon is a passionate organiser, campaigner and activist, having worked across the union, global justice and environment movements for more than 10 years. She founded Sweltering Cities in 2019 – an organisation working with people affected by extreme heat to win more liveable, sustainable and equitable cities.

Joshua Gilbert is a Worimi man, whose family ancestors are recorded as having the first recorded birth in a cave in the Gloucester mountains. He is the indigenous Co-Chair of Reconciliation NSW, and he work seeks to connect traditional Aboriginal knowledge and history to current contexts, translating past wisdom and learning to the opportunities of the future.