Putting equity at the heart of Victoria’s climate response

Lived experience and community voice in this submission

Understanding how best to support Victorians with lived experience of poverty and disadvantage in the context of climate change requires hearing directly from them.

This submission draws on engagement VCOSS has conducted with communities across Victoria around climate change between 2023 and 2025.

This engagement has sought insights towards three VCOSS projects: Giving Victorians a voice on climate change; VCOSS’ forthcoming report on Equity in climate adaptation; and engagement on behalf of the Victorian Government around climate action.

Across the sessions, we heard that climate change is already impacting on people’s physical and mental health, and exacerbating existing challenges they face such as poor quality housing, energy poverty and experiences of disasters.

We heard that the systemic barriers people face that drive poverty and disadvantage are the same barriers that limit individual’s capacity for action on climate change.

We heard that, above all, the rising cost of living creates and maintains barriers for people to be able to take advantage of the climate mitigation measures that would provide energy bill relief.

Throughout this submission we have included community members’ experiences, challenges, hopes and aspirations in their own words.

We express gratitude to all those who have shared their story with us.

Summary of recommendations 

Victoria’s Climate Change Strategy 2026-2030 must deliver:  

Section 1: A continued focus on climate mitigation via renewables, electrification, planning, and the circular economy  

1. Stay the course on home electrification, solar PV and energy efficiency while ensuring Victorians on low incomes access the benefits. 

2. Implement and expand minimum energy efficiency standards for rental homes and provide adequate funding and planning to apply these standards to social housing.  

3. Align planning decisions with climate mitigation goals and equitable social outcomes. 

4. Strengthen circularity requirements on producers to reduce waste. 

Section 2: Greater investment into adaptation and disaster resilience, targeted at Victorians who are experiencing the most significant climate impacts 

1. Identify the most climate-vulnerable communities and support them with community-led adaptation planning. 

2. Invest in the equity-focused actions within Victoria’s Adaptation Action Plans. 

3. Fund the development of an Aboriginal Climate Justice strategy to address impending climate change impacts on Country, health and wellbeing. 

4. Strengthen the climate resilience of Victoria’s housing stock through targeted support to households on the lowest incomes. 

5. Expand minimum rental standards to include resilience standards to ensure renters are protected from climate impacts beyond heat. 

6. Make funding available to communities and community organisations for proactive disaster resilience, not just disaster recovery. 

7. Transparently report progress against Victoria’s Adaptation Action Plans. 

Section 3: Increased support for community organisations and ACCOs that are already supporting people experiencing disadvantage to reduce emissions and adapt 

1. Create a climate mitigation and adaptation fund specifically for community service organisations and ACCOs.  

2. Establish an ongoing disaster resilience workforce within the community services and ACCO sectors, co-funded with the Commonwealth Government. 

Section 4: Accountability across the whole of government for climate action and intergenerational equity 

1. Create and fund an Office of the Commissioner for the Wellbeing of Future Generations to hold the whole of government accountable for decision-making that promotes the health and wellbeing of future generations. 

2. Strengthen collaboration between Victorian Government departments to address the social impacts and inequities accelerated by climate change.