The Transition Decade
Encyclopedia
The Transition Decade is a non-partisan shared campaign which is coordinated by an alliance of Australia
n community, social, and environmental groups, non-profits and NGO's. The initiative forms a unified plan to campaign, lobby and work to restore safe climate conditions and a sustainable
future.
The initiative emerged from the Victorian sustainability movement and expanded to encompass the rest of Australia. Organisations and community groups involved include; Friends of the Earth
, Beyond Zero Emissions
, Climate Emergency Network, Sustainable Living Foundation, Transition Network, Australian Youth Climate Coalition
, Yarra Climate Action Now, Darebin Climate Action Now, Climate Action Moreland, Sustainable Living Tasmania, Environment Victoria, Alternative Technology Association and 100% Renewable campaign.
A number of organisations have been advocating for and working in a ten year time frame, the Transition Decade initiative integrates this work to strengthen resources and to connect movements that are influencing policy and local action.
, Victoria
, Australia
, at the Melbourne Town Hall
, to a crowd of over 1,000 during the 2010 Sustainable Living Festival
.
Speakers included; Rob Gell (Master of Ceremonies), Governor of Victoria Professor David De Kretser, Uncle Bob Randall
(Yankunytjatjara Elder and Traditional Owner of Uluru), Cam Walker (Friends of the Earth), Professor Rob Adams (Director Design & Urban Environment City of Melbourne), Professor Will Steffen (Executive Director of the ANU Climate Institute), Senator Christine Milne
(Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens), Kelly O'Shanassy
(Chief Executive Environment Victoria), Giselle Wilkinson
(President of the Sustainable Living Foundation), Philip Sutton
(Convener of The Climate Emergency Network) and Mark Ogge
(Beyond Zero Emissions).
Activate Transition Advocates - This phase will see organisations working together and sharing resources to build the capacity to promote the Transition Decade concept on a mass scale. A growing alliance of climate focused individuals and organisations will generate a level of social approval throughout communities across Australia of the Transition Decade goals. This task can not be achieved by a small group of organisations. The alliance will gather and share tools support to individuals and organisations across sectors to get to YES on the goals to restore a safe climate.
Social Mobilisation - Creating mass ‘social will’ to adopt a transition decade target will be a vital stage in achieving the goals of the Transition Decade vision. Extensive and highly creative approaches will be employed to attract people to support this vision.
When a significant proportion of the community accepts the climate emergency, we can build the political will to enable governments and business to respond to the shared goals of the Transition Decade. Our political leaders need to hear a clear message from the community that we must invest in policies and projects to achieve a social and structural transition.
Policy Reform - Major changes to existing policy and the formulation of new legislation will be necessary to provide a framework for new economic development and innovation.
Economic Reorientation - Shifts in the current economic system will be vital in providing the stimulus and capacity for the design, construction and production of necessary systems, services and goods.
Given the huge scale of what needs to be done to restore a safe climate, it will be impossible to get everything done in a decade, or even two decades, if we continue to approach the transition in a business-as-usual way.
It will take a determined effort from all levels of the
community to remain committed to effective action until the task is completed.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n community, social, and environmental groups, non-profits and NGO's. The initiative forms a unified plan to campaign, lobby and work to restore safe climate conditions and a sustainable
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
future.
The initiative emerged from the Victorian sustainability movement and expanded to encompass the rest of Australia. Organisations and community groups involved include; Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
, Beyond Zero Emissions
Beyond Zero Emissions
Beyond Zero Emissions is an Australian-based, not-for-profit climate change solutions think-tank founded by Matthew Wright and Adrian Whitehead. The group coordinates research and education into the need to reduce human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 'zero and below' by implementing structural...
, Climate Emergency Network, Sustainable Living Foundation, Transition Network, Australian Youth Climate Coalition
Australian Youth Climate Coalition
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition is a youth organisation in Australia. The coalition consists of 25 other youth organisations, which includes the National Union of Students amongst many...
, Yarra Climate Action Now, Darebin Climate Action Now, Climate Action Moreland, Sustainable Living Tasmania, Environment Victoria, Alternative Technology Association and 100% Renewable campaign.
A number of organisations have been advocating for and working in a ten year time frame, the Transition Decade initiative integrates this work to strengthen resources and to connect movements that are influencing policy and local action.
History
The Transition Decade was inspired by many initiatives including:- Lester Brown first promoted the idea of a transition decade in 1990. State of the World. (Worldwatch Institute). New York: W.W. Norton. (p. 174)
- Al GoreAl GoreAlbert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
adopted a 10 year timeframe for the Repower America Renewables Program. - Beyond Zero EmissionsBeyond Zero EmissionsBeyond Zero Emissions is an Australian-based, not-for-profit climate change solutions think-tank founded by Matthew Wright and Adrian Whitehead. The group coordinates research and education into the need to reduce human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 'zero and below' by implementing structural...
are developing the Zero Carbon Australia plan. Supported by the Climate Emergency Network - Zero emissions by 2020 is policy for some Victorian local councils; City of Melbourne, Maribyrnong City Council, Moreland City Council, Darebin City Council, Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance and the Western Alliance for Greenhouse Action.
- Australian climate action groups adopted 100% renewables by 2020 at the National Action Climate Summit in 2009.
- Australian GreensAustralian GreensThe Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
, The Greens' Safe Climate Bill - Safe Climate theme adopted by Environment Victoria, and a growing number of climate action groups.
- State of the World Forum adopted a 10 year timeframe climate leadership program (2050 by 2020 campaign).
- Transition TownTransition TownsTransition Towns is a grassroots network of communities that are working to build resilience in response to peak oil, climate destruction, and economic instability...
movement is spreading rapidly in Australia utilising the transition theme.
Launch
The Transition Decade was launched on 14 February 2010, in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, at the Melbourne Town Hall
Melbourne Town Hall
Melbourne Town Hall is the central municipal building of the City of Melbourne, Australia, in the State of Victoria. It is located on the northeast corner of Swanston and Collins Streets, in the central business district. It is the seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Melbourne...
, to a crowd of over 1,000 during the 2010 Sustainable Living Festival
Sustainable Living Festival
The Sustainable Living Festival is a yearly festival held since 1998 in Melbourne at Federation Square and Birrarung Marr along the Yarra River....
.
Speakers included; Rob Gell (Master of Ceremonies), Governor of Victoria Professor David De Kretser, Uncle Bob Randall
(Yankunytjatjara Elder and Traditional Owner of Uluru), Cam Walker (Friends of the Earth), Professor Rob Adams (Director Design & Urban Environment City of Melbourne), Professor Will Steffen (Executive Director of the ANU Climate Institute), Senator Christine Milne
(Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens), Kelly O'Shanassy
(Chief Executive Environment Victoria), Giselle Wilkinson
(President of the Sustainable Living Foundation), Philip Sutton
(Convener of The Climate Emergency Network) and Mark Ogge
(Beyond Zero Emissions).
2010 onwards
From 2010: Community Commitment - Getting Whole Communities to YESActivate Transition Advocates - This phase will see organisations working together and sharing resources to build the capacity to promote the Transition Decade concept on a mass scale. A growing alliance of climate focused individuals and organisations will generate a level of social approval throughout communities across Australia of the Transition Decade goals. This task can not be achieved by a small group of organisations. The alliance will gather and share tools support to individuals and organisations across sectors to get to YES on the goals to restore a safe climate.
Social Mobilisation - Creating mass ‘social will’ to adopt a transition decade target will be a vital stage in achieving the goals of the Transition Decade vision. Extensive and highly creative approaches will be employed to attract people to support this vision.
When a significant proportion of the community accepts the climate emergency, we can build the political will to enable governments and business to respond to the shared goals of the Transition Decade. Our political leaders need to hear a clear message from the community that we must invest in policies and projects to achieve a social and structural transition.
2012 onwards
From 2012: Government CommitmentPolicy Reform - Major changes to existing policy and the formulation of new legislation will be necessary to provide a framework for new economic development and innovation.
2014 onwards
From 2014: Intense Transition ModeEconomic Reorientation - Shifts in the current economic system will be vital in providing the stimulus and capacity for the design, construction and production of necessary systems, services and goods.
Given the huge scale of what needs to be done to restore a safe climate, it will be impossible to get everything done in a decade, or even two decades, if we continue to approach the transition in a business-as-usual way.
It will take a determined effort from all levels of the
community to remain committed to effective action until the task is completed.
Initiatives, plans, proposals
Strategies
- Drive greenhouse gas emissions to (net) zero below the level of natural sequestration of GHG
- Draw down excess atmospheric carbon dioxide from the air and store it safely
- If warranted, directly reduce the Earth’s temperature, until the first two strategies have restored a safe climate
Outcomes
- Concentrated investment and development in renewable energy systems
- Elimination of harmful waste
- Efficient use of resources
- Ecological conservation and restoration
Associated resources
- Beyond Zero Emissions - Zero Carbon Australia 2020
- Safe Climate Australia - Transition Plan
- Mark Z Jacobson - Scientific American Repowering a green planet
- Zero Carbon Britain - Zero Carbon Britain Plan
- Repower America - Repower America
