Active hope, not hot air: Why Citizens matter more than COPs
Last night, more than 120 people joined me at the National Library of Australia for a special Citizen COP screening of NATURE - The Call for Reconciliation, the extraordinary documentary by French filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
We felt something that can sometimes be difficult to hold onto when working on climate change and biodiversity loss. Hope.
Not the passive kind that assumes that everything will be OK and someone else will fix things. But active hope. The kind that comes from people connecting, learning, organising and taking responsibility for our shared future.
And we weren’t alone. Across Australia now, more than 100 events are bringing people together through Citizen COP Australia 2026, an awesome initiative led by People for Nature. Aussies across every state and territory are participating, with workshops, community gatherings, films, creative events and online activities.
Meanwhile, world leaders are gathering in Türkiye for the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference. And the contrast is striking.
Thirty years of climate talks. And where are we?
I spent much of my professional life working on climate change, biodiversity conservation and international diplomacy, including as part of Australia’s UN climate negotiating team.
I believe strongly in the United Nations. We need international cooperation to solve problems that no country can tackle alone. But believing in the UN doesn’t mean pretending the climate negotiations are delivering what science demands as necessary for a safe planet.
Here’s a sobering fact. Since the UN climate negotiations began in the early 1990s, global energy-related CO₂ emissions have increased by two-thirds. They’re now approaching 38.4 billion tonnes annually. Yes, progress has been made on renewables, electric vehicles and motherhood commitments. But the atmosphere doesn’t measure promises or speeches. It measures greenhouse gases. And the world is still adding more.
Australia’s climate hypocrisy
This week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is trying to spruik Australia’s climate credentials in Türkiye. But there’s an enormous elephant in the room. Australia is one of the world’s largest fossil fuel exporters and the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter on a per capita basis. We’re second only to Saudi Arabia!
Since we started attending the COPs, Australia's coal exports have almost tripled, and our gas exports have grown eleven fold. The emissions from burning those fossil fuels overseas are immense. Australia tries to say they’re not ours because they're released elsewhere. But the atmosphere doesn’t care whose spreadsheet records the emissions. We can’t keep congratulating ourselves for installing rooftop solar, subsidising batteries and switching to EVs while approving new coal and gas developments like there’s no tomorrow. The Albanese government has approved 38 major fossil fuel projects since 2022, locking in fossil fuel production for decades - even up to 2070!
Nor should we ignore what’s happening in Newcastle, where the council just banned climate protests with the support of NSW Premier Chris Minns and his Police Minister. Stopping protests won’t stop climate change or its impacts. Ending fossil fuels will.
At COP31 this week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a devastating observation: “The dinosaurs did not have a lobby. Fossil fuels do.” He’s right. The biggest barriers to climate action are no longer technological. They’re political.
Active hope, not hot air
This is precisely why Citizen COP matters. Last year, I rode my bicycle to AlterCOP. This year, People for Nature has taken the idea further, building a decentralised movement connecting Australians with the global climate and biodiversity negotiations. As a People for Nature Ambassador, I’ve been organising Citizen COP events in Canberra through Lyrebird Dreaming.
We’ve already enjoyed a birdwatching walk, identifying 30 species in just over two hours on Ngunnawal Country. Last night’s film screening brought more than 120 people together. And this Saturday, my dog Fred and I will be leading a Dogs for Climate Walk around Lake Burley Griffin.
These events are fun, but their message is serious. Community action isn’t a substitute for government action. It’s how we build public understanding, solidarity and political pressure that's needed to hold our elected representatives accountable.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese needs to stop expanding fossil fuel production, end fossil fuel subsidies, protect nature and hold polluters accountable. And as everyday Aussies, we need to hold him accountable by demanding those changes. What inspired me last night wasn’t simply the number of people attending. It was their enthusiasm. People choosing to spend their evening thinking about nature, climate change and our collective future. They were there because they cared about a safe future for our kids and Country. That’s powerful.
I want the UN climate negotiations to succeed. But the last 31 years of COPs shows we can’t leave the future of our planet to politicians and corporations.
Active hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s choosing to act, even when the challenges are overwhelming. While politicians and corporate lobbyists talk in Türkiye, everyday Aussies are gathering, learning, connecting and demanding a better future. That’s not hot air. That’s active hope.
Join us!
🐕 Dogs for Climate Walk — CanberraSaturday 14 November, 10am, Lake Burley Griffin. Free, family-friendly and everyone welcome!
🌏 Citizen COP Australia 2026Explore more than 100 events across Australia, including online activities.
Comments