My Climate Action: Mental Resilience and Health

Australia is currently one of the poorest performers on SDG 13, Climate Action, ranking 161st on the World SDG Index. We need to change that. Introducing the United Nations Association of Australia Young Professionals 2022 National Event Series, My Climate Action. 

A four part online series that provides young professionals with ideas, actionable resources, and tools to directly contribute towards climate change mitigation. On April 27, we discussed Ecosystem Restoration with Jimi Gatland (Lennox Community Gardens) and Jess Pinder (Ecosystem Protection Professional). 

Join us on Thursday September 1, at 6pm AEST for Event Two: Mental Resilience and Health as we invite key speakers to discuss the practical actions we can all take in our homes, communities, and wider environment to positively contribute towards climate change mitigation.

The second event in our series features two inspirational researchers and practitioners of mental health from the University of Queensland's Mental Health in Climate Change Transdisciplinary Research Network, Fiona Charlson and Tara Crandon.

P.H.D Candidate Tara Crandon - an early career psychologist who is passionate about supporting the wellbeing of children, adolescents, and young adults. Tara is currently studying a PhD on climate anxiety in children and youth at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, and with the University of Queensland. Her research focus is to understand how to support youth to channel their climate anxiety in ways that are meaningful for themselves, as well as the planet.

Associate Professor Fiona Charlson - a NHMRC Research Fellow at the Queensland Centre of Mental Health Research and School of Public Health, University of Queensland. She works as a psychiatric epidemiologist and health services researcher with strong experience addressing the most challenging global mental health research questions. A/Prof Charlson leads UQ’s ‘Mental Health and a Changing Climate Transdisciplinary Impact Research Network’, which she established in 2019 in response to the growing need for an evidence base that supports adaptation and mitigation strategies that address the mental health impacts of climate change. 

A/Prof Charlson’s technical expertise is highly sought after and has led to collaboration and advisory roles with a wide range of Australian and international stakeholders, including the World Health Organization, United Nations Development Program, US National Institutes of Health, and numerous government and non-government organisations.