Sydney’s Climate Action Week to highlight regional approaches to net zero
Climate Action Week Sydney 2025 (CAW.SYD.25) will run from 10 to 16 March, bringing together individuals, businesses, and communities to share ideas and support the transition to a low-emissions future.
Climate Action Week Sydney 2025 is open to all, with free or low-cost events to encourage broad community participation. Now in its second year, this year's Action Week will feature close to 300 across Greater Sydney.
After drawing over 6,300 attendees across 115 events in 2024, this year’s program aims to expand participation and impact. Major sponsors, including the NSW Government, Future Super, and Salesforce, continue to support the initiative, alongside partners such as the City of Sydney and Greenhouse.
CAW.SYD.25 will cover themes including nature-based solutions, urban resilience, sustainable finance, and industry transition. Speakers include NSW Minister for Climate Change Penny Sharpe, climate scientist Professor Tim Lenton, and industry figures such as Martijn Wilder and Simon Holmes à Court.
Ed Schmidt, Director of the Climate Action Foundation, which coordinates the event, explains: “We must accelerate the shift to optimism and action. Now is the time to focus on the ‘positive tipping points’ that can speed up progress.”
A key event, Human-Centred Net Zero: A Multi-Angled Regional Approach, is scheduled for 12 March at the Sydney Startup Hub. Organised by the NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub, the session will explore regional perspectives on decarbonisation, highlighting work underway in NSW to gain social licence and implement emissions reduction strategies.
The event will feature discussions led by the Powerfuels including Hydrogen Network and Electrification and Energy Systems Network, addressing the challenges of achieving net zero in regional settings. Annette Cowie, Senior Principal Research Scientist at the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, will present the Emissions Reduction Roadmap. Developed with input from the Land and Primary Industries Network, the roadmap identifies abatement approaches compatible with sustainable agriculture. Cowie’s research links science and policy, supporting holistic responses to climate change and sustainable land management.
Schmidt stressed the importance of grassroots involvement: “Sydney has the potential to lead in climate action, but change starts with people. CAW.SYD.25 is about elevating voices that don’t ordinarily get heard—the local changemakers, Indigenous leaders, innovators, and business pioneers driving real solutions.”
With a diverse program encouraging knowledge-sharing and collaboration, Climate Action Week Sydney 2025 aims to provide practical pathways for communities, businesses, and policymakers to accelerate climate action at a local level.
