Community Service Organizations and Actions for Climate Justice: An Exploration of the Western Australian Context

This study utilized Feminist Participatory Action Research in collaboration with community service organizations (CSOs) in Western Australia to assess knowledges, capacities and capabilities regarding climate justice. Through surveys, interviews, and workshops, CSO workers explored organizational responses to climate change and social justice. Participants self-reported a low-to-medium understanding of climate justice and a desire for capacity building, especially in decolonial practice. Half of participating organizations had policies regarding climate change and social justice and engaged in climate advocacy, but identified a lack of sectorial and organizational leadership. Participants recommended opportunities for CSOs to operationalize climate justice and disaster resilience via climate justice mainstreaming, partnerships and collective activism. CSOs prioritized co-producing a Climate Justice and Resilience Toolkit as a social innovation to embed climate justice and disaster resilience across CSO operations. This demonstrates the significance of collaboration in addressing the social injustices of climate change and fostering innovative outcomes for CSOs.