Wellbeing and Climate Change

Wellbeing is a lens through which community values and outcomes are increasingly being measured and communicated. Yet, we lack comprehensive tools to assess how humanity’s greatest challenge, climate change, affects population wellbeing. How are communities faring, what do they value, and how are they and their decision-makers informed? For communities facing massive social, economic, and environmental shifts, and industries and governments seeking social licence for the renewables rollout, this information is crucial.

Our impact to date

Working within Australia and in partnership with the Tasmanian Government, MCCCRH Director Libby Lester and colleagues have piloted the development of a wellbeing framework that can integrate priorities from the top down (government policy and strategy objectives) and bottom up (citizens needs and aspirations).

This innovative model for identifying population needs and aspirations at the local community level and communicating these needs and wants to decision makers began with the onset of COVID-19.

Future focus

Working with communities and all levels of government, we are co-designing and developing a comprehensive framework for measuring and communicating population wellbeing. This will improve place-based decision making and community resilience and support. To make this framework as useful and effective as possible as a communications tool, we’re incorporating cutting edge data visualisation and generative AI tools.