As we reflect on 2025, we want to acknowledge and celebrate the valuable support of CO2 Australia in the early development and delivery of AlterCOP 30 Australia – the Australian AlterCOP Chapter brought to Australia by People For Nature in 2025
We designed an independent, values-driven gathering running alongside the official United Nations Climate Conference (COP30). Our aim was simple — to create a free and inclusive space where voices often absent from formal negotiations — youth, First Nations leaders, local communities, scientists, artists, and grassroots changemakers — could come together to engage meaningfully with climate and nature action, while actively reducing the environmental footprint of participation itself.
While Australia sent 494 official delegates to COP30, we engaged more than 1,400 people nationwide, extending the spirit of the COP “green zone” through citizen-led events and conversations across the country.
The success of this first experiment, and the lessons it generated, revealed something larger was emerging — not simply an alternative event, but the foundation of a broader civic infrastructure capable of connecting citizen engagement, collective intelligence, and institutional processes in a constructive and ongoing way.
People For Nature decided to evolve into creating its own initiative Citizen COP in 2026, a decentralised, people-powered movement running alongside the global COPs in 2026.
We are inviting citizens, schools, businesses, artists, and local groups across the country to host their own aligned events during the COP period. Rather than one central event, it becomes a nationwide network of local conversations, workshops, and actions — making global negotiations visible and relevant at the community level.
At its heart lies a simple belief: lasting environmental change happens when people feel informed, empowered, and connected — both to the challenges we face and to the solutions we can create together.
CO2 Australia provides practical, science-based solutions at the intersection of business and the environment. With over 20 years’ experience in carbon and biodiversity projects, they help organisations and landholders create real environmental and economic value. Their expertise spans carbon and biodiversity offsets, ecological assessments, spatial analysis, and land management, alongside training programs that build capability across industry and government.
CO2 Australia supported AlterCOP 30 Australia because they believe sustainability and productivity go hand in hand — creating lasting value for people, land, and the planet.
As Chris Wilson, Chief Consulting and Strategy Officer at CO2 Australia shared:
“Events like AlterCOP 30 Australia are vitally important as we look to bridge the gap between those ‘talking’ at the global level, and those who are ‘doing’ locally. At CO2 Australia, we pride ourselves on execution and People for Nature clearly share the same philosophy. Connecting communities, creating shared understanding and then collaborating in service of our planet were clear themes throughout the AlterCOP 30 event.”
Alongside this, People For Nature focused on citizen engagement, biodiversity literacy, and participatory learning experiences — helping translate complex climate information into accessible formats that inspire understanding and action.
We are deeply grateful for CO2 Australia’s support during this formative phase. Partnerships like these are essential in building movements that are credible, inclusive, and capable of driving real change.
As Citizen COP Australia evolves, we carry forward the lessons, relationships, and momentum built in 2025 — and remain committed to expanding this citizen-led approach to climate and biodiversity action.
Find out more about CO2 Australia: https://co2australia.com.au/
Leave a Reply