Podcast: The Ignition that Inspired Climate Action

It was 1994 and Greg Mullins was camping with his family, when the weather changed and he smelt smoke in the distance. What followed next were some of the most significant bushfires in the State’s history and a moment when the “penny dropped” for Greg that the climate was changing.

There’s no denying climate change is already impacting the way we plan for and respond to disasters. With disasters likely to become more frequent and intense, Josh and Andrew ask the question – what can we, as disaster professionals, do to make the world a safer place?

Former Commissioner of Fire + Rescue NSW Greg Mullins joins the show this week to discuss how he gathered former fire and emergency services chiefs together to lobby for action on emissions reduction and his experience witnessing first hand the impacts of climate change.

Greg has been fighting fires for more than 50 years with experience spanning many major disaster events including significant fires and earthquakes. In 2020 he chaired the The National Bushfire and Climate Summit following the Black Summer bushfires. In this episode, Greg discussed what more can be done to limit the impact of climate change, what we can expect to see in the future and what the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action are doing to bring attention to this issue.