Surrounded by signals of metacrisis, are we thriving or on the brink of collapse? In this talk, Stéphan explores how disruption can be harnessed to design and communicate a progressive, desirable future, blending strategy, design, and futures thinking.

Speaker:

• Stéphan Willemse

Discover the features of Australia's most accurate and highly resolved data for risk assessments and adaptation planning, NARCliM2.0. We'll show you what's so special about the new release, how to use the data, and provide access to a multi-disciplinary panel of experts from NSW Government to offer solutions on how to practically apply it in your work.

Speakers:

• Matthew Riley 
• Patrick Wilcox 
• Joseph Miller 
• Catherine Naum 
• Jocelyn Dela-Cruz

Join this social session to produce collaborative and creative expressions of a world transformed by climate action. Through art, imagine the emotions, senses, and possibilities of a future where the biosphere and non-biosphere, human consciousness and industry has evolved in response to the challenges we've overcome.

Speakers:

• Mal Ridges 
• Amanda Close 
• Paris Norton

What outcomes are we trying to achieve? Are the projects we're planning on completing going to get us there? And what are the assumptions? This masterclass will introduce thinking tools around program impact, and how to monitor progress and pivot in a highly complex world.

Speakers:

• Bethany Hanson

Climate distress is widespread among young people today, so how do people of all ages work together to ensure our younger generations are supported and have agency? Hear from experts in this rapidly growing field and learn directly from young people about how they are harnessing their climate distress, turning worry into action, and igniting powerful movements for change.

Speakers

• Kal Glanznig 
• Saoirse Chu 
• Cybele Dey 
• Natasha Abhayawickrama 
• Arlene Gili Mehan 
• Eshana Bragg

Aaron Coutts-Smith, Director of Climate Adaptation at NSW Department of Climate Change, the Environment, Energy and Water, and Beck Dawson, Executive Director of NSW Reconstruction Authority, share how these state government bodies are leading the way in climate adaptation and proactive reduction of disaster impacts.

Speakers:

• Aaron Coutts-Smith 
• Beck Dawson

NARCliM2.0 provides the most comprehensive set of NSW climate projections yet. This session introduces the new ‘middle of the road’ greenhouse gas scenario (SSP2.45) being produced for NARCliM2.0 and provides an overview of some of the ‘ET-SCI’ climate extremes indices in development for NARCliM2.0. Get an early look at the high-impact climate extremes that can be investigated using NARCliM2.0, including examples of how they can be used for climate risk analysis across multiple sectors.

Speakers:

• Giovanni Di Virgilio 
• Stephen White 
• Rishav Goyal 
• Moutassem El Rafei

Land use planning presents a number of challenges and opportunities for NSW as we navigate a changing climate amidst a housing crisis.

Speakers:

• Sam Kernaghan 
• Kate Cotter 
• Steve Hartley 
• Elizabeth Mossop 
• Kate Freney

The volume of adaptation research grows each year. As more robust information on the potential physical and socio-economic risks of climate change becomes available and finer scales, researchers are exploring adaptation options more deeply across multiple sectors. In this discussion you will hear insights into the direction of adaptation research in population health, the built environment, urban systems and integrating risk into effective response.

Speakers:

• Matthew Riley 
• Ben Newell 
• Xiaoqi Feng 
• Dr Negin Nazarian 
• Hala Hubraq 
• Cassandra Cosgrove

How will NSW meet its emissions reduction targets and increase its resilience to a changing climate? Hear directly from the Chair of the Net Zero Commission, Dr Paul Grimes PSM, and Commissioners Meg McDonald and Bundjalung man Oliver Costello, following the establishment of the Net Zero Commission in July 2024.

Speakers: 

• Cristien Hickey 
• Dr Paul Grimes 
• Oliver Costello 
• Meg McDonald

What do Adam Smith, NSW coal exports, an extinct mediterranean mollusc, and ChatGPT have in common? They're all examples of emerging megatrends which are already disrupting how we live and work. In this session, Luke will explore how the world is changing, and what those changes could mean for government and business.

Speaker:

• Luke Heilbuth

The economy is changing as we decarbonise. Mandated climate reporting is helping us to achieve our net zero goals, integrate effective risk management, and engage in adaptation planning. Equip your organisation for the future and learn more about how you can plan for climate-related transition risks and opportunities in the new ESG landscape. A NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, The Environment and Water (NSW DCCEEW) initiative.

Speakers:

• Cindy Varnier 
• Harley Lewington 
• Suzanna Remmerswaal 
• Tiffany Correggia 
• Chels Zuiderwyk

Climate change challenges us to change our thinking. Now more than ever, western and Indigenous knowledge systems can work together for better adaptation outcomes. Panel members will explore the concept of two-eyed seeing and how it has changed their approach to their work.

Speakers:

• Michael Drielsma 
• Mal Ridges 
• Eren Turak 
• Amanda Close 
• Paris Norton 
• Trent Auld

Disruptive technologies like the Internet of Things, robotics, virtual reality and artificial intelligence are changing the way we operate. What does the 4th industrial revolution mean for climate change adaptation?

Speakers:

• Lee Schofield 
• Melanie De Gioia 
• Joe Glesta 
• Ajay Limaye 
• Sam Sneddon

A wealth of toolkits are now available for taking bold action on climate change adaptation. A lightning round of presentations from toolkit developers across climate science, community and land management followed by interactive demonstrations.

Speakers:

• Mari Jaervis 
• Emma Rolls 
• Esther Zhu 
• Perry Wiles 
• Suzanne Dunford 
• Sarah Niklas 
• Jillian Thonell 
• Loretta Durango 
• Shelley Beeston

Researchers are combining First Nations peoples' knowledge of land and climate patterns, with Western scientific modelling of climate impacts, and expertise on energy systems and climate policy, to assist Local Aboriginal Land Councils to prepare for climate change and future industry.

Speakers:

• Therese Apolonio 
• Heidi Norman 
• Calise Liu

Focussing on the experience of hot summers in three distinct social housing communities, this session looks at individual and community adaptations to heat.

Speakers:

• Stephen Healy 
• Abby Mellick Lopes 
• Cameron Tonkinwise 
• Louise Crabtree-Hayes 
• Vanessa Tomas

What's working, what's not in the world of climate risk and adaptation planning - National to local perspectives. Panellists will provide a snapshot of the adaptation work happening at multiple government levels.

Speakers:

• Cristien Hickey 
• Danielle Thomson 
• Yvette Andrews 
• Nicole Parsons 
• Richa Mudaliar

Guided by Asmaa Guedira from Women's Environmental Leadership Australia, learn how to build impactful programs and partnerships that celebrate multiple legacies, support grassroots efforts, and foster a new generation of environmentalists dedicated to contributing to an equitable and inclusive future for everyone.

Speakers

• Asmaa Guedira 
• Carli Leimbach 
• Patricia Kaziro

With a love of sport critical to so many Australians, it is a powerful mechanism through which to enact climate action at a local and global level. These passionate athletes, activists and community organisers share how to leverage this great unifier.

Speakers:

• Josh Kirkman 
• Nicola Barr 
• Joanne Bowen

Stéphan leads a dynamic, hands-on workshop exploring how futures thinking, trend analysis, strategic design, and creative narrative can be applied to positively reframe disruption. Through collaborative group exercises, participants will develop actionable, forward-thinking visions for communities and systems in Australia and beyond and integrate these powerful tools into their own work.

Speaker:

• Stéphan Willemse

There is a shift in global thinking acknowledging that we must accelerate activities that protect and repair our natural environment and be Nature Positive. How do we achieve this in a changing climate? In this session, we'll hear about Nature Positive initiatives, challenges and opportunities to large scale restoration, how we can restore land and sea ecosystems in a changing climate, how NSW National Parks are contributing to Net Zero targets and managing for the future climate, and workshop scenarios for a Nature Positive future.

Speakers:

• Dr Paul Gibson-Roy 
• Prof. Maurizio Rossetto 
• Georgina Wood 
• Polly Mitchell

Emma Bacon, Founder of Sweltering Cities, looks at how the climate crisis is a crisis of the imagination, and how we can re-ignite our ability to imagine alternative futures and opportunities for adaptation.

Speaker:

• Emma Bacon

This interactive workshop invites participants to envision a harmonious future for humans and nature, using Symbiocene principles and future thinking. Through collaborative ideation and AI scenario generation, attendees will explore innovative solutions for a nature-positive and sustainable future.

Speakers:

• Arielle Breit 
• Lee Schofield 
• Andy Marks

Workshop outputs

What can we learn from our evolutionary history and ancestral wisdom traditions that can be re-tooled for deep adaptation purposes? Join Geoff Berry from Nature Calling for an interactive exploration of our relationship with the more-than-human community, from the perspective of applied ecopsychology.

Speaker:

• Geoff Berry

This session showcases the power of storytelling to transcend preconceptions, make learning memorable and inspire collaboration across sectors. Attendees will receive a masterclass in deep listening and sharing knowledge with creative storytelling expert and proud First Nations woman, Kaylene Langford.

Speaker:

• Kaylene Langford

Join visionary artist Melissa Gilbert & Purpose Creative Director Kate Hurst in “Liminal Landscapes" an artist Q&A exploring her immersive work with UnitePlayPerform. Discover how Melissa’s art integrates sensory experiences, neuroscience, and therapeutic design to foster healing, connection, and self-discovery, emphasising the importance of facing our grief to mobilise ourselves and others. The talk will conclude with a short 10-minute embodiment exercise, providing a space to deepen the experience.

Speaker:

• Melissa Gilbert

Emerging in Australia’s regions, regenerative businesses enhance community resilience while delivering social, environmental, and economic impact. This discussion will overview regenerative principles, highlight unique businesses, and explore what’s needed for their success, showcasing inspiring stories of local innovation and vitality.

Speakers:

• Reece Proudfoot 
• Dr Dimity Podger 
• Kate Leury 
• Nielsen Moragh Mackay

This session adapts a First Nations story to the world of finance and asks Bruce Chapman, architect of the HECS scheme, how we can design way to pay for adaptation and invest in our long-term future.

Speakers:

• Paul Girrawah House 
• Chris Andrew 
• Bruce Chapman

What do Indigenous-designed finance, options theory, derivative financial products and contingent lending have to do with climate change? Each has the potential to address the vexing challenge of finding the capital required to fund the impacts of climate change.

Speakers:

• Nathan Robertson-Ball 
• Chris Andrew

Katherine offers a provocative look at the economic roots of today's ecological challenges, urging us to "Imagine an economy designed to serve people and the planet." This talk inspires new thinking about our roles in creating a better world.

Speakers:

• Katherine Trebeck

Nathan and Satyajit guide a conversation about facing the consequences of decades of indecision and inaction. What options remain? And how do we attempt to navigate the losses and damages our climate system has baked in for millennia to come?

Speakers:

• Nathan Robertson-Ball 
• Satyajit Das

This session provides some information and perspectives on climate change that some people may find confronting. Viewer discretion is advised. If you are experiencing eco-anxiety, please visit the Black Dog Institute or Australian Psychological Society for supporting information or speak with your local healthcare provider.