Integrating climate action into the Australian Volunteers Program

Climate resilient development is increasingly used as the catchcry of donors and development partners globally as a response to the risks climate change poses to sustainable development. Some development organisations are progressing climate resilient development by integrating climate risks within their strategies and practices, recognising the interlinkages between climate change, poverty, injustice, and inequality. However, many development organisations that do not hold climate change as a core programming focus are yet to take steps towards climate resilient development. While language about “climate risk integration” and “climate-proofing” is commonly used in the development sector, practical first steps on how to enact such approaches remain elusive. This paper describes how a development program without a core focus on climate change has taken initial but important steps towards climate resilient development. Lessons from the Australian Volunteers Program’s efforts in climate risk integration may help to inform and support other organisations in similar positions.