USASA Club Feature: AYCC

The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) is Australia’s largest youth-run organisation. Our mission is to build a movement of young people leading solutions to the climate crisis!

Our vision is for a just and sustainable world, with a safe climate for our generation and future generations to come.

We believe the only way to solve the climate crisis is through a social movement led by young people; standing in solidarity with those on the frontlines of climate change; empowering our community; inspiring change; and holding the decision makers of our community to account.

We work side by side with our sister organisation, Seed, which is Australia’s first Indigenous youth climate network. Together, we run grassroot campaigns that fight for climate justice.

Whilst AYCC has been around for about a decade, AYCC at UniSA was only established in 2017, but already it’s an integral part of the South Australian branch of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. While we operate at a university level, all of our campaign efforts are carried out as a close-knit team with the rest of the state’s branch, which includes the AYCC clubs from the University of Adelaide and Flinders University. We also work with other AYCC branches from all over Australia.

OUR CURRENT CAMPAIGNS

Fight for the Bight:
Despite the Great Australian Bight being a vital part of our ecosystem that we absolutely cannot afford to lose, Equinor (a Norwegian energy company) is trying to receive approval to drill for oil in the Bight. Along with the Great Australian Bight Alliance, we’re fighting to ensure that Equinor knows young people in South Australia do not see a future for big oil in the Great Australian Bight. And here’s the catch – Equinor’s scheme to drill for oil in the Bight would be illegal in their home country. Why should they be allowed to do it in our backyards?!

Stop Adani:
Adani is a mining company that’s set to build the Carmichael coal mine in the north of the Galilee Basin, Central Queensland. Ensuring that the coal mine does not go ahead is absolutely critical in order to ensure that we have a clean climate future, as not only would it contribute to global warming – which in turn contributes to the ill health of our wonderful ecosystems, including the Great Barrier Reef – it will also draw water from Queensland’s water reserves. This would have a direct impact on local farmers, as well as Australian flora and fauna. Through grassroot campaigns and empowering youth, we are striving to stop Adani from going ahead with the Carmichael coal mine.

Origin Energy Campaign:
Fracking in the Northern Territory goes beyond being an environmental concern, as it is first and foremost a land rights issue. We stand in solidarity with First Nations People and Seed to let Origin Energy know that we’re calling for a total ban on fracked shale gas. Dirty energy and dirty money do not take priority over the protection of country and thousands of years of vibrant culture.

How you can get involved with fighting the good fight alongside other wholesome youth?
Find us on social media! Give our Facebook page @AYCCatUniSA a like, follow the sign-up link and watch that space for new upcoming events! Or simply come say hi to either any of our AYCC team if you see them around campus!

Words by AYCC

This piece was originally published in Edition 31.

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