AASW Webinar Recording | Social Workers for Climate Action: Setting the scene

Member price: $60.00 including GST (member price will display once logged in)

Non-member price: $120.00 including GST

The Social Workers for Climate Action webinar series looks at green or eco-social work practice as it relates to the present and future serious risks posed by uncontrolled climate change.

The series aims to give learners a broad understanding of the science underpinning the risk assessment of climate change impacts; and some of the possible implications of that risk assessment process for future social work service delivery.

This series will present some of the knowledge, skills and values required by still emerging green social work practice response to climate change impacts in Australia. There will be a facilitated discussion of climate change practice principles and challenges between participants; and an exploration of case study examples of the nascent Australian and international social work response to climate change in the field.

This webinar is a part of a series designed to support Social Workers to make a difference to climate change within their practice.

Part 1: ‘Setting the Scene’ presents a global and local overview of climate change from the perspective of social work practice.

Part 2: ‘Talking it Through’ gave participants the opportunity to ask questions to a panel of experts.

Part 3: ‘Making it Real’ showcases real-life case studies where social workers are making a difference and the lessons learned.

Learning Outcomes

1. To raise awareness of climate change amongst social workers
2. To provide a forum for social workers to discuss climate change and practice
3. To present case studies of social workers making a difference in role modelling and lessons learned
4. Support social workers to take action on climate change with their practice.

Presenter details

Fiona Armstrong

Founder and Executive Director, Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA)

Fiona is Executive Director and Founder of Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA) in Australia, the first national coalition of health groups formed (in 2010) to tackle the health impacts of climate change. She is the architect of the world’s first Framework for a National Strategy on Climate, Health and Well-being for Australia (2017), a lead author of the Queensland Health and Wellbeing Climate Change Adaptation Plan (2018), and author of many of CAHA’s reports. Fiona led the development of the Our Climate Our Health campaign in Australia, and CAHA’s Climate and Health Champions training program.

Andrew Nicholson

Social Worker and Environmental Educator

Andrew has worked for over 30 years across various social work specialisms in the UK (where he qualified) and Australia. He has degrees in environmental science, environmental education, and researched the influence of environmental art on audiences, working in various organisational and community environmental education roles. He also developed an interest in the intersection between personal well-being needs for good physical and mental health, and the larger scale needs required for a socially just, global society. In the last couple of years, Andrew has seen similar interests mirrored in an emerging social work debate: on how best to align green and environmental justice concerns, and the protection of nature, with the profession’s more traditional, social justice objectives of client protection, support, advocacy and empowerment.