Canberra Climate Café

Climate change and the polycrisis can bring up many feelings of grief, fear, anger, hope, overwhelm and care for the places and people we love. Canberra Climate Café is a warm, facilitated space to pause, reflect and share what is real for you.

Hosted this November by Canberra Environment Centre's trained Climate Café facilitators* Jennifer Pinkerton and Jenny Cahill, there is no guest speaker, lecture, debate or pressure to find solutions. Instead, we will gather in a supportive circle to listen and be listened to. Here you can voice concerns that may not be welcomed or echoed elsewhere in your daily life. You’re invited to share with interested others how you’re really feeling at this challenging time. 

Built on the Climate Café model developed by Psychology for a Safe Climate, this is not a therapy session, but a respectful community space grounded in care, curiosity and connection. All feelings are welcome, and no prior knowledge or experience is needed.

There may be laughter, there may be tears. There may be fear, there may be anger. Whatever you’re feeling is okay and valued. And it’s fine just to listen. Sharing, listening and being quiet together are all part of our Café.

Event attendance is by donation. Please give what you can to support this movement and its accessibility to all; no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Ticket cancellations and returns
Capacity at Climate Cafes is small, so they can become fully booked. For this reason, registrants are able to return their own tickets up until 24 hours prior to the cafe. If your availability changes, we greatly appreciate it if you could return your ticket so that someone else who needs to, can attend

Important note on arrival time
Please arrive 10 mins early, for a 9am sharp start. We are unable to accept arrivals after 9:05am due to guests needing to be present for the sharing of our group agreement

Finding the Banksia Centre
To reach the meeting room, continue past Pollen Cafe (100 metres or so, in the direction of Barry Drive) to the Banksia Centre. The Celia Rosser Room looks out onto a courtyard, also facing in the direction of Barry Drive. The Centre sits on the far edge of the grassed area beside Pollen Cafe

Accessibility
The Banksia Centre is reachable via paved footpaths, no steps are required to access the space

Parking
Paid parking is available at the Botanic Garden

*Facilitation team & upcoming cafes

Canberra Climate Cafe's facilitation team includes Annalisa Dietrich, Kate Nairn, Barbara Walsh, Jenny Cahill and Jennifer Pinkerton. Two members of our team will facilitate each climate cafe, which will after the November session will run monthly from early 2027.

Supported by the ACT Government through the Communities Climate Action Grants Program