Kirsty A O'Callaghan

Climate change in Australia is manifesting through rising temperatures, sea levels, extreme weather events, and changes in precipitation patterns, impacting communities through health risks, agriculture disruptions, and threats to biodiversity. Future climate change in Australia is projected to have significant implications on the environment, ecosystems, and society exacerbating existing challenges. Over 67% of Australian schoolchildren consider the environment a crucial issue and express concern about climate change, with many reporting high psychological distress. Australian schoolchildren are keenly aware that their generation is among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and have expressed frustration at the lack of policy change and action to mitigate climate change. Australian schoolchildren and young people have expressed their concerns and feeling about climate change in public protests, strikes, and demonstrations, and grassroots organizations (e.g. School Strike 4 Climate) calling for urgent action on climate change. The purpose of this chapter is to examine aspects of climate change in Australia, with a particular emphasis on the perspectives and experiences of young Australians.