Murals For Climate Action

 In the wake of COP 26 Glasgow, where most world leaders presented strong global climate action plans, Melbourne-based decarbonisation expert, Chris Halliwell has engaged with renowned Australian mural artists to kick off their campaign to highlight Australia’s lack of commitment to a 50% 2030 Net Zero emissions target and hopes to encourage other communities to take action, starting on their home.

Halliwell and his good friend, mural artist Makatron set forth to cover the facade of his street front Fitzroy home with a traffic-stopping mural, Halliwell is asking friends, neighbours and colleagues to make their own statement using art, and share their visuals with their local MPs and on social media, showing that real climate action needs to be from the top down and bottom up … from the world leaders to every household, simultaneously and immediately.

The colourful Makatron mural on the Palmer Street house features a giant kookaburra perched on a bending tree against a backdrop of a smog-engulfed city landscape, with the slogan “Don’t Fear The Fear” and the words “Protect” and “Net Zero 50% 2030”.

Halliwell says that already, he knows of three other houses from around Australia, whose owners intend to cover their homes in similar climate murals. He has also extended an invitation to politicians Angus Taylor, Matthew Canavan and Zali Steggal to come and have a cup of tea at his house, admire the new artwork and “sort it out”.

Thus far, only Steggal has accepted the invitation, and Halliwell is hopeful that the others will follow suit. 

Says Halliwell, ‘While strong global climate action themes supported the COP 26, Australia is nowhere with no focus and an ill-defined 2050 target, 

“We need a 50% by 2030 target and then we need to vigilantly focus on whatever it takes to keep to a 1.5% warming.

“We did this to raise the intensity on the conversation, and shout it loud to government and those that who were working on meaningful agreements at the COP.”

“What we are asking is:

• Do you want to keep 1.5% climate target alive?
• What do you think the 2030 focus should be ?
• Climate action starts at home, everything we do counts… show me what you have done and share your thoughts, paintings, ideas, images, views here to shout it loud to the Australian government what we expect on climate action and jobs in the new world of clean energy and climate commerce,
• Campaign govt that we expect a 2030 target in line with 1.5%.
   

WATCH CHRIS HALLIWELL’S CLIMATE ACTION MESSAGE HERE
 

FOLLOW #ClimateMurals:

Instagram: @Climate.Murals

CONNECT WITH MAKATRON

Instagram: @mike.makatron

Facebook: /MikeMakatronArt/

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT: Greta Costello

MEDIA CONTACT: Erin Jameson - erin(at)jamesonandco(dot)com