Al Gore and The Climate Reality Project to Host Climate Training in Brisbane

Washington, DC (May 22, 2019) – Al Gore and The Climate Reality Project will hold the next Climate Reality Leadership Corps training in Brisbane, Australia from June 5-7, 2019. Hosted in partnership with the Queensland Government, the training will coincide with Queensland’s first-ever Climate Week QLD, a week of events to share ideas and inform the community about solutions to address the climate crisis.

Climate Reality’s 41^st training will explore the climate challenges and opportunities relevant to Queensland specifically and the Asia-Pacific region generally. Led by former US Vice President and Climate Reality Chairman Al Gore, the training will include appearances from elected officials, business leaders, communications experts and top scientists, who will give attendees the skills and knowledge to address the climate crisis and seek fair solutions with their communities. As part of the training, participants will also learn how to give the presentation made famous by the Oscar-winning film An Inconvenient Truth and seen in the 2017 follow-up film An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.

“From dangerous heat waves and storms to the threatened loss of crop yields and the Great Barrier Reef, few places in the world have seen the impacts of the climate crisis more than Australia and the Asia-Pacific,” said Al Gore. “However, in the face of these impacts, Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Island nations have a tremendous opportunity to champion solutions for a low-carbon, sustainable future, and have the tools needed to transition to a clean energy economy. These nations and their diverse coalitions fighting for a better future represent the hope that we can and will make the changes needed to solve the climate crisis.”

In Australia and the Asia-Pacific region at large, climate impacts such as this year’s record-breaking heatwave in Australia, rising seas, droughts, floods, wildfires and increasingly uncertain seasons pose health and existential threats to citizens, especially indigenous communities. Increasing ocean temperatures and acidification jeopardise some of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems, as well as the food, culture, and livelihoods of the 1 billion people who depend on it. In Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef alone is home to more than 1,500 species of fish and provides more than 64,000 jobs and AUD $6-7 billion to the local economy.

Over three days, the training will include sessions on how citizens can influence decision makers, communicate with different audiences and implement ambitious climate action with their communities, particularly during this current review cycle leading up to the Paris Agreement’s implementation phase.

States and cities across Australia and the region have an important role to play in addressing climate change. Though Queensland currently has the largest share of emissions from Australian states and territories, its government has set out to achieve a net-zero emissions economy by 2050 and a 50 percent renewable energy mix by 2030. The Australian states of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia have similar targets, while the cities of Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide have also adopted ambitious climate policies that reflect the urgent need for action. Meanwhile, significant investments in solar and wind across Australia and New Zealand are creating good jobs and providing affordable, clean power for high-emissions industries and communities historically reliant on fossil fuels.

Climate Reality has trained more than 19,000 leaders from 152 countries. Following the Brisbane training, the next training will take place in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Recent trainings have included Atlanta, Georgia; Los Angeles, California; Berlin, Germany; Mexico City, Mexico; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Greater Seattle, Washington; Denver, Colorado; Shenzhen, China; Manila, Philippines; Miami, Florida; Toronto, Canada; New Delhi, India; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Climate Reality also has 10 global branch offices and approximately 130 local chapters throughout the United States.

To learn more about the Climate Reality Leadership Corps trainings, visit  https://www.climaterealityproject.org/training. 

Please contact [email protected] or +1-202-567-6800 for questions.  

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ABOUT THE CLIMATE REALITY PROJECT   

Founded by Nobel Laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore, The Climate Reality Project is working to catalyse a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every level of society. With a global movement more than 5 million strong and a grassroots network of trained Climate Reality Leader activists, we are spreading the truth about the climate crisis and building popular support for clean energy solutions. For more information, visit www.climaterealityproject.org or follow us on Twitter at @ClimateReality. 

ABOUT CLIMATE WEEK QLD

Hosted by Queensland Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch, Climate Week QLD will provide a forum for leaders and sub-national governments to collaborate on climate action. Activities throughout the week include a public program of arts, music and thought-provoking discussions. Queensland’s school student leaders will also put forward their innovative solutions to local climate change issues as part of the 2019 Minister’s Climate Challenge.