Conversation Circles: SDG 13 for social enterprise - Climate Action post COP26

Join us for our online series Conversation Circles: Universal Impact

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #13 Climate Action for social enterprise

The pandemic has changed everything and nothing. The perennial challenges of inequality, homelessness, marginalisation, intergenerational injustice and the spectre of ecological catastrophe - they all remain. The underlying causes have not budged, they have gotten worse, as leaders and markets flail or exacerbate systemic problems. 

The push to achieve the UN agreed SDGs by 2030 will require leadership in all parts of our community.

Social enterprise is ahead of the curve with business innovation locked into creating a just, inclusive and sustainable future.

Now is the time for social enterprises to consolidate our strength and lead the charge to achieving SDGs by 2030. 

The SDGs provide common frames for us to identify, communicate and measure our impact.

SDG13 - Climate Action

This second in a series of virtual events will explore the SDGs - in particular SDG13 - with:

• Sophie Arnold, Executive Manager of the United Nations Association of Australia 
• Taryn Lane, General Manager of Hepburn Wind
• Emily Gerard, legal and policy expert, Comhar Group
• Hosted by Nick Verginis, CEO of Social Enterprise Network Victoria (SENVIC) and member of Catalyst 2030.

This virtual event is shared through the Alliance of Social Enterprise Networks Australia (ASENA) and welcomes social enterprise from across the country to join the conversation circle.

What is a Conversation Circle?

Conversation Circles are not webinars, they are a chance to hear from expert, then to discuss the issues and challenges with your peers. 

Conversation Circles aim to:

• Create an opportunity for practitioner-led dialog, collaboration and problem-solving.
• Build a shared understanding of the features of a fair, inclusive and sustainable economy.
• Identify opportunities for social enterprise to shape the new economy today. 

These events are structured by a brief introductory section, where the panel introduce the topic, before smaller break-out rooms enable attendees to deepen their learning and connection. The events conclude with shared learnings with the full meeting group.

More about the presenters

Tarryn Lane is the manager of Australia's first community-owned cooperative wind farm Hepburn Wind, working there for over a decade. The wind farm has pioneered the community energy movement in Australia and has been recognised with national and global awards for its unique approach. 

Hepburn Wind delivers a range of partnership programs under the collaborative banner of Hepburn Z-NET with their council and community such as solar and battery bulk buy, energy audits, EV bulk buy, EV charging infrastructure, to reach zero-net emissions by 2030. In addition, Taryn is a founding director of RE-Alliance, and the Coalition for Community Energy, a director of the Smart Energy Council and a 2017 Winston Churchill Trust Fellow.

Emily is a Director and Principal Lawyer at Comhar Group Pty Limited, an Australian-based legal and policy advisory firm. She is an environmental and climate change law specialist with extensive experience in land use and development, environment and biodiversity regulation, native title and land rights, as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation responses. 

Emily holds qualifications in both law and science and has worked with listed companies, First Nations, agri-businesses, and farmers, as well as international, national and sub-national governments. Emily has a detailed understanding of international law and instruments (particularly in relation to climate, biodiversity and the seas) and their domestic implementation. She attended the 2015 Paris climate change negotiations (COP21) and regularly attends and advised on UN Framework Convention on Climate Change processes and instruments. 

Emily is the Chair of the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute Advisory Board. She is also an Affiliated Expert with the UK Government’s “UK PACT” program (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions) and a non-executive director of the Carbon Market Insititute and the EarthWatch Institute Australia. Emily was also a member of the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative technical working group on sustainable finance.