Why Supporting Parents for Climate Matters More Than Ever
By Jeremy Liddle
Last Monday night at The Pillars, I found myself reflecting on how far Parents for Climate has come.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSjDLhS0M3c - {watch :
Solar Our Learning - Australian Parliament Event (2026)}
When I first joined the Board several years ago, the organisation was already proving that parents could be one of the most powerful voices in Australia’s climate debate.
Sitting in a room filled with donors, advocates, volunteers and supporters, it was clear that Parents for Climate has entered a new phase of growth.
One built on proven impact, national reach, and an ambitious vision for the future.
Third Hemisphere was proud to support the evening. For me personally, it was also a chance to reconnect with a cause that has shaped much of how I think about leadership, advocacy, philanthropy, and responsibility.
I proudly served on the Parents for Climate Board of Directors for three years. I now continue to support the organisation as an Ambassador and Advisor. Watching it grow from a determined parent-led movement into a national force for change has been one of the great privileges of my professional and personal life.
Climate change sits at the intersection of our children’s future, a parents’ legacy, community wellbeing, economic prosperity, and national resilience. Parents for Climate understands this better than almost anyone.
A Movement Built on Love, Discipline, and Action
Parents for Climate was founded in 2019 by mothers from regional, rural, and metropolitan communities across four Australian states.
Today, it has grown into Australia’s leading parent climate advocacy organisation, representing more than 26,000 supporters through 26 local groups operating across every state and territory and every federal electorate.
That reach has been earned through years of consistent organising, local leadership, policy engagement, and community trust.
Parents for Climate’s vision is clear:
A safe climate for our kids to thrive.
Its mission is equally direct:
To empower parents, carers and families to become a powerful voice for climate solutions.
That matters. Parents are one of the most influential constituencies in Australia. Two in three Australian voters are parents.
When parents organise, governments listen.
Turning Concern into Power
Many Australians care deeply about climate change but feel unsure how to engage. They are managing work, children, their own ageing parents, household costs, and the daily pressure of modern life.
Parents for Climate gives them a practical pathway into action.
Its supporters are teachers, healthcare workers, business leaders, tradespeople, public servants, small business owners and parents who want a safer future for their children.
The organisation equips them with training, local networks, campaign tools and direct engagement with decision-makers.
To date, Parents for Climate has:
Mobilised more than 26,000 supporters nationally.
Established 26 local action groups across Australia.
Conducted more than 550 meetings with MPs and decision-makers.
Secured meetings with key ministers and policymakers.
Influenced hundreds of federal election candidates.
Achieved a landmark legal victory against greenwashing by a major energy company.
Helped unlock more than $71 million in funding for solar and battery projects in schools across New South Wales, Tasmania and Western Australia.
These victories have delivered measurable outcomes for Australian families and communities, from school solar funding to stronger corporate accountability.
The Climate Challenge Facing Australia’s Children
The urgency behind this work is clear.
Research cited by Parents for Climate shows that two-thirds of Australian schools currently face significant climate risk.
Under a two-degree warming scenario, that figure is projected to rise to 84 per cent of schools by 2060.
The impact is also deeply unequal.
According to the Zurich-Mandala Climate Risk Index, 83 per cent of schools in Australia’s lowest socio-educational decile face significant climate risk, compared with 58 per cent of schools in the highest decile.
Climate change now affects children’s health, education, safety, household costs and future opportunity.
The children most vulnerable today are often the ones who will face the greatest risks tomorrow.
That reality gives Parents for Climate a powerful mandate.
A Record of Practical Achievement
One of the strongest themes from the evening was the breadth of what Parents for Climate has already achieved.
The Solar Our Learning campaign has become one of Australia’s most successful parent-led climate initiatives.
The campaign attracted more than 22,000 signatories and helped secure $71 million in state government commitments for solar and battery installations across schools and early learning centres.
Ahead of the 2025 Federal Election, Parents for Climate engaged hundreds of candidates and generated more than 250 media stories. Local groups conducted dozens of direct candidate meetings, helping keep climate and children’s futures on the political agenda.
The organisation also delivered a groundbreaking legal victory in its challenge against EnergyAustralia’s marketing claims regarding the climate impact of certain products.
The outcome resulted in a public apology and established an important precedent for corporate accountability and greenwashing claims.
Parents for Climate drives policy, influences institutions and delivers measurable change alongside raising public awareness.
The Next Chapter
The organisation’s next phase is ambitious.
By 2028, Parents for Climate aims to:
Grow its supporter base beyond 50,000 people nationally.
Expand to more than 40 active local groups.
Train over 300 parent leaders.
Deliver five coordinated national campaigns.
Secure at least three major policy victories that reduce climate harm to children.
Build stronger, more diversified and sustainable funding streams.
The strategic focus is sharp.
Parents for Climate wants to make climate action a mainstream parenting issue.
That means connecting climate with the everyday realities families care about most: health, education, cost of living, community resilience and future opportunity.
This is where the organisation is especially effective. It takes a complex national challenge and makes it personal, local and practical.
The Next Stage of Growth
A significant reason for optimism is the appointment of Nina Davis as Development Director.
Nina is doing an excellent job at a critical point in the organisation’s growth. She brings energy, discipline, warmth, and strategic clarity to the role.
Her reflections on the evening captured the character of the organisation and the people around it:
“From the moment I stepped into this role, the energy and dedication of our community stopped me in my tracks. These are busy people, with jobs, with kids, with full lives who show up anyway, because they believe the stakes are too high not to.”
That is exactly what makes Parents for Climate different.
Nina also spoke about the staff team:
“The staff at Parents for Climate are some of the most thoughtful, mission-driven people I’ve encountered in my career. The care they bring to this work is something special.”
She is right. The organisation has built a rare combination of grassroots credibility, policy seriousness and community trust.
Nina also recognised the scale of what has already been built:
“26 community groups in every federal electorate doesn’t happen by accident. That kind of reach is the result of years of quiet, determined effort. It’s a testament to what this team and its community has built, and it gives us a platform that most organisations can only dream of.”
The room at The Pillars reflected that platform. It was full of donors and contributors who are deeply invested in the mission.
As Nina put it:
“The commitment I’ve seen from our philanthropic community is genuinely impressive. These aren’t passive supporters. They’re invested in the mission, they ask great questions, and they want to see us succeed.”
That was evident throughout the evening. The conversations were thoughtful, informed and focused on impact.
Nina’s final reflection summed up the opportunity ahead:
“Looking at what we’ve already achieved, I feel an enormous sense of possibility. We have the movement, the credibility, the relationships and the momentum. The opportunity in front of us is real, and I can’t wait to help unlock it.”
That sense of possibility was shared across the room.
Why This Matters to Third Hemisphere
Supporting Parents for Climate reflects the values that underpin Third Hemisphere’s B Corp certification and our broader commitment to purpose-driven business.
B Corp status is a public commitment to balancing commercial success with social and environmental impact.
For us, that means supporting organisations that strengthen communities, improve public outcomes, and create long-term value beyond profit.
Philanthropy, non-profit work, and charity partnerships are part of how businesses can contribute to the systems they operate within.
Parents for Climate is the kind of organisation worth backing. It is practical, evidence-based, community-led, and focused on outcomes.
It also understands something that every effective advocacy organisation must understand: change requires relationships, trust, persistence, and discipline.
Those qualities matter in climate advocacy. They also matter in business.
Looking Ahead
As I left The Pillars last Monday, I felt proud.
Proud of what Parents for Climate has achieved.
Proud of the donors and supporters who continue to back it.
Proud to have served on the Board and to continue as an Ambassador and Advisor.
And proud that Third Hemisphere supported a night dedicated to building a safer climate and a better future for Australia’s children.
Australia’s children will live with the consequences of decisions being made now. The question is whether they will look back and see that the adults around them understood the stakes.
Parents do not need to have all the answers before they speak. They only need to be clear about what they are asking for: clean air, safe schools, affordable energy, stronger climate policies, and a future in which children can thrive.
For the love of our kids, that is a call worth answering.
Help power parent-led climate action
Parents for Climate is building the parent-powered movement our children need. Your support helps train parent leaders, grow local groups, campaign for safer schools and communities, and push for stronger climate policies across Australia.