Networking Active Young Climate Campaigners


The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC)

The AYCC aims to unite youth organisations to build a generation-wide movement to ensure that adequate action is taken to address and avert the climate crisis. The AYCC is now a partnership of over 20 youth-focused and youth-run organisations from across Australia, with a membership of tens of thousands of young Australians. ‘In building the coalition it combines the skills, knowledge and energy of a diverse range of young people in leveraging its collective power to create a clean, efficient, just and renewable energy future.

The role of the AYCC is to facilitate, coordinate and support its member groups in carrying out their activities, and to develop collaborative national projects and campaigns. Members of the Coalition must be youth-focused, youth-run and sign on to the AYCC declaration, a document created at the Founding Summit in 2006.

AYCC projects have included:

  • The Switched On Schools program: training young people to deliver inspiring climate change presentations in high schools; hosting conferences; supporting students to develop their own climate change programs;
  • The Adopt a Politician election campaign in 2007: a non-partisan campaign enabling young people to engage in the democratic process and place pressure on politicians in key marginal seats;
  • PowerShift 2009: the first national youth climate summit involving 4000 young people.
  • Youth Decide 2009

What worked in the AYCC?

  • Respecting diversity
  • Demanding a youth voice in big decisions
  • Using innovative engagement tools

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