Climate Fresk is an educational workshop and a call to action to achieve global climate goals and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 13 objectives.
Bridging the climate change knowledge gap
The year 2024 is officially the warmest on record and the first calendar year that the average global temperature exceeded 1.5°C above its pre-industrial level (Corpernicus)[1].
While the impacts of climate change intensify, a 2023 Ipsos Climate Change Report revealed that half of Australians still attribute climate change to natural processes, and half feel overwhelmed by conflicting information[2]. Bridging this knowledge gap is critical for empowering individuals and institutions to take meaningful climate action.
To address this challenge, UNSW introduced the Climate Fresk workshop in 2024, engaging 160 staff and students in a science-based, interactive learning experience. The workshops unravel the complexities of climate change while fostering collaboration, reflection, and solutions-focused action.
What is Climate Fresk?
Climate Fresk is a collaborative workshop built around 42 cards summarising the latest climate science findings.
Guided by the ‘head, heart, hand’ approach, participants work through three phases:
- Build knowledge: Groups map the climate system using cards. Each card represents one climate change concept and is connected to other cards using cause-to-effect grouping.
- Connect emotionally: Participants share their reactions in a supportive environment, bridging the emotional gap often caused by climate despair.
- Move into action: Teams discuss actionable solutions at and beyond their role at UNSW, fostering collaboration across disciplines and perspectives.
With more than two million participants globally, Climate Fresk is also a not-for-profit initiative that empowers communities to tackle climate challenges collectively.
Who participated in 2024?
In February 2024, Dr. Tania Leimbach (School of Humanities & Languages) introduced the workshop for the third consecutive year to 60 master students in the Climate Crisis and Action course. Volunteer facilitators from Climate Fresk Australia created a reflective, action-oriented learning environment that many students described as transformative.
From August to December, UNSW Environmental Sustainability hosted three open workshops, bringing together 35 participants from diverse faculties. All participants reported learning something new about climate change and three took the next step to become facilitators, ensuring the workshop's wider reach at UNSW.
“A meeting of experiences, minds, information to distil the complex reality of climate change and the challenges we’re facing. Made me feel like learning and doing more on an individual level and proud that this is happening as UNSW, we have power as individuals and as an institution to make a huge, meaningful contribution to this existential crisis.” (Anonymous staff feedback)
In October 2024, Associate Professor Bryce Kelly integrated Climate Fresk into the course Investigating Earth and Its Evolution (GEOS1111), with 65 undergraduate students exploring the connections between Earth’s systems and the impacts of human activity. The workshop received a 4.24/5 satisfaction rating, and students highlighted its collaborative and thought-provoking format.
“It was a very enjoyable collaborative lesson on investigating the cause and effect of anthropogenic climate change. It invited people’ different perspectives and knowledge backgrounds to piece everything together. We then had a discussion on the different levels of change and how they can be achieved.” (Anonymous student feedback)
What’s next?
The Climate Fresk is more than just an educational workshop; it’s a call to action to achieve global climate goals and SDG 13 objectives. Join this movement in 2025:
- Join a staff session: In 2025, UNSW Environmental Sustainability will host three workshops at the Teaching Commons, starting March 10 during Climate Action Week Sydney. Register here.
- Student session: Professors Bryce Kelly and Tania Leimbach will continue incorporating Climate Fresk into their courses.
For bespoke sessions in your department, or if your faculty is interested in adopting the workshop contact m.turban@unsw.edu.au.
Other sustainability workshops will run throughout the year to help UNSW accelerate the transition to a sustainable society. For any suggestions or questions, contact us at sustainability@unsw.edu.au.
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