Beyond the words: What happens after a climate emergency is declared?

By Rob | June 25, 2025 |

  Mik Aidt Educational, World affairs

A major new study published by Nature has shed important light on the climate emergency declaration movement – and, for the first time in peer-reviewed research, has turned its focus squarely on what happens next.

Titled “Climate emergency declarations by local governments – what comes next?”, the study examines the real-world actions taken by 39 local governments in Victoria, Australia, that declared a climate emergency between 2016 and 2022. Its findings offer both encouragement and a challenge: declarations matter, but only when followed by truly transformative action.

declarations matter, but only when followed by truly transformative action

A global movement rooted in local action

Since the City of Darebin made the world’s first climate emergency declaration in December 2016, over 2,300 jurisdictions across 40 countries have followed suit. This grassroots-driven surge – often led by community pressure, civil society campaigns, and cross-council alliances – represents one of the strongest collective statements of climate intent ever made by subnational governments.

grassroots-driven surge – often led by community pressure, civil society campaigns, and cross-council alliances

Victoria has been at the forefront of this movement. The study highlights that 39 of the state’s 79 local councils had declared a climate emergency by the end of 2022 – and 38 of those were members of regional climate alliances, such as the Victorian Greenhouse Alliances, which play a pivotal role in shaping and supporting climate responses.

From declaration to transformation

The real strength of the study lies in its attempt to evaluate whether these declarations have been more than symbolic.

It asks: Did councils follow up with concrete action plans? Were these plans genuinely transformative – addressing not just emissions, but also climate justice, biodiversity, and Indigenous perspectives?

Key findings:

  • 34 of 39 councils developed dedicated climate action plans following their declaration.
  • Most plans focused on mitigation and adaptation, with strong targets for emissions reduction and resilience-building.
  • However, fewer plans gave equal weight to collaboration, biodiversity integration, Indigenous knowledge, or justice and equity – dimensions that the researchers define as essential for truly transformative climate action.
  • Encouragingly, 30 of the 38 analysed plans included at least one reference to all five of these key dimensions.
  • Still, mitigation and adaptation continue to dominate, with other transformative elements often mentioned only briefly.

34 of 39 councils developed dedicated climate action plans following their declaration

Why it matters

This research marks a turning point in how the climate emergency movement is studied and understood. It shifts the focus from the political act of declaring an emergency to the quality and substance of the follow-through.

In doing so, it offers a valuable framework for civil society, councils, and researchers to assess whether declarations are leading to the kind of deep systemic change the climate crisis demands.

The study also emphasises the importance of regional alliances and partnerships, such as the Greenhouse Alliances, in building capacity, sharing knowledge, and creating a collaborative “implementation ecosystem”.

What’s next for the movement?

As the study rightly points out, a declaration alone is not enough. The real challenge lies in implementation – allocating resources, embedding action across all departments, and ensuring the community is part of the solution.

This research is an important step forward – but it also raises questions that remain unanswered:

  • How effective have these action plans been in practice?
  • Are emissions actually dropping?
  • Are vulnerable communities being empowered?
  • Are councils delivering on their equity, biodiversity, and justice goals?

Future research – ideally building on this study’s framework – will need to evaluate outcomes, not just intentions.

But for now, this landmark study confirms that the climate emergency declaration movement has had a significant impact. It has pushed local governments beyond business-as-usual – and in many cases, has triggered a more sophisticated, inclusive, and ambitious approach to climate planning.

It’s a vindication for campaigners and citizens who have worked tirelessly to raise the alarm and demand that governments not just acknowledge the emergency – but act like it.

Read the full study:

→ Nature – 7 May 2025:
Climate emergency declarations by local governments – what comes next?
“This research focuses on local governments in the State of Victoria, Australia, and analyses the emergency declarations and subsequent action plans of 39 Councils.”

Related:

→ The Conversation – 16 February 2023:
Beyond roads, rates and rubbish: Australians now expect local councils to act on bigger issues, including climate change
“Our newly published research shows most Australians expect more from their local councils, and that includes climate action.”

Abstract

More than 2000 jurisdictions globally have declared climate emergencies. Climate emergency declarations are amongst the strongest climate change policy statements. Yet, there has been limited research focusing on what comes after a climate emergency declaration is made, and the extent to which subsequent planning includes ‘transformative’ elements. This research focuses on local governments in the State of Victoria, Australia, and analyses the emergency declarations and subsequent action plans of 39 Councils, applying an analytical framework that defines ‘transformative action’ as including mitigation and adaptation; collaboration action across and within Councils; inclusion of intersecting biodiversity emergency responses; acknowledgement of First Peoples’ knowledges and aspirations; and consideration of justice and equity. Results point to the importance of alliances and networks to push ambition and facilitate informed climate action planning. The research has potential to inform policy both locally and globally and progress understandings of the enabling conditions for transformative approaches.

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