Campaign priorities

This year we've structured the Climate Action Summit around five campaign streams, which will allow us to develop strategic, well integrated campaigns, and begin the relationships and networks that will continue throughout a year of climate activism.

The campaign streams will come together for a synthesis session on Saturday afternoon to discuss shared priorities, timelines and to ensure that targets and messages are shared where possible. This work will also occur in the campaign streams themselves. After the synthesis session, the work of the campaign streams will be brought to the whole conference for discussion and endorsement. There will be opportuntity here to ask questions and suggest amendments, using consensus decision making. (For more information on consensus decision making see below).

The campaign streams are: 100% renewables, coal campaigning, vote climate/election campaigning, climate emergency and green jobs. In January 2010 the campaign organisers actively solicited campaign stream suggestions through email lists and an online survey.

Network amendments

In December 2009, more than 100 groups signed up and the national network came into existence. The network stream at this year's Summit will discuss the functioning of the network and provide a space to discuss proposed amendments. These amendments will be discussed at the plenary on Saturday night for decision making.

Policy proposals

Last year a dedicated team of volunteers developed a comprehensive policy document for the climate movement. The content of this document was circulated for sign on, and you can view it here.

This year we're going to build on that work by accepting your suggested policy changes or additions. These wil be tested for support in a conference plenary on Monday morning, and then circulated to Climate Action Groups for sign on after the Summit. They will be tested for green, orange or red response.

Consensus based decision making

As with last year, we will be using modified consensus for decisions at this year's Summit.

What is consensus?

Consensus is an active decision-making process. At its best it taps the creativity of an entire group to find a solution with which everyone can live. Consensus decision-making is a learned skill. A variety of definitions of consensus exist. In broad terms, consensus is achieved when the group consists of people who: (1) support a proposal, with or without reservations, (2) are indifferent to a proposal or (3) disagree but are prepared to allow the proposal to proceed.

Consensus means acceptance on a wide continuum, rather than universal agreement.

Consensus is achieved where there is no disagreement or where those who disagree are willing to allow a consensus decision to be achieved. This means by the agreement of most participants, with dissenters and abstainers agreeing to acknowledge the majority opinion as being the decision.

What is modified consensus?

If consensus on a motion is not achieved after reasonable attempts, a vote can be taken. A motion shall be carried with a 75% majority of the votes cast. Those who do not agree with the decision may have their objections included in any minutes recorded.