The Victorian Government Climate Change Act 2017 has identified seven sectors (or ‘systems’) that are impacted by or have an important influence on the State’s capacity to adapt to climate change.
Under the Act, these sectors must develop Adaptation Action Plans (AAPs) every five years, with the first due in October 2020. The aim of a sector-based approach is to develop coordinated and coherent sectoral policy responses in anticipation of the complex challenges of adapting to climate change. Sectors must also work with each other to address climate change risks and vulnerabilities, identify trade-offs, and realise potential opportunities. The need to work both within and across sectors presents many governance challenges. These include crossing conventional boundaries and bringing together policy makers and stakeholders with different objectives, interests and ways of working.
As part of this process we are providing expert advice to Department of Land, Water, Environment and Planning (DELWP) who are coordinating the AAP process. Our approach is based on systems thinking and adaptive governance research and practice. The project involves three main deliverables.