The NSW Government’s AdaptNSW Forum, held this October, brought together climate change adaptation specialists for two days of thought-provoking conversation and collective change making. 

Anna, Janine and Susan from the Hunter JO team were joined by some of our region’s council colleagues and a range of stakeholders from government, industry and not-for-profit organisations to explore the Forum’s theme of ‘Deep understanding, bold action’.  

The Forum left us feeling inspired and motivated to apply what we’ve learned as we deliver our resilience, net zero and circular economy programs. Some of the team’s highlights included: 

• Climate adaptation and planning for disaster – a discussion with the NSW Government on how collaboration, networks and relationships are crucial for successful adaptation and resilience to disasters. 

• Adaptive finance – how we can learn from First Nations people and the HECS scheme to innovatively fund adaptation initiatives.  

• Theory of Change – applied to projects can help us test our assumptions to focus more clearly on intended outcomes. 

• How to plan for climate related transition risks and opportunities. 

• A Sporting Chance: Driving change with creative climate interventions. Leveraging a love of sport into climate action at a local and global scale with Surfers for Climate, Cricket for Climate and FrontRunners, a movement led by athletes, calling for serious climate action to protect the future for all. 

• Designing for Disruption – workshop exploring futures thinking, trend analysis, strategic design and creative narrative to develop actionable, forward-thinking visions for communities and systems. 

To find out more about the AdaptNSW Forum, visit AdaptNSW, and don’t forget to check out the Hunter JO to learn about our Net Zero, Resilience and Hunter Circular programs.