Australians who have lost homes, Country and culture to climate change are at COP31, where Australia is President of Negotiations, and are available for interview about two human rights cases challenging the Australian Government’s continued approval and subsidising of coal and gas.
In the Hard Truths case, ten Australians have filed a claim with the UN Human Rights Committee arguing the climate damage from Australia’s coal and gas exports violates their rights to life, home and culture. In Generation Justice, nine young Australians lodged a human rights complaint that led two UN Special Rapporteurs to raise formal allegations with the Australian Government, made public in October 2026.
When: COP31, Antalya, Türkiye, 9 to 20 November 2026
To arrange interviews, please contact:
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At COP31: Tessa Fluence, Environmental Justice Australia, [email protected], Signal or WhatsApp +61 448 448 326
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In Australia: Jessa Latona, Environmental Justice Australia, [email protected], 03 8341 3110
HARD TRUTHS CASE
Pam Francis, Narungga, Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna woman and teacher
Pam lives on the South Australian coast, where a toxic algal bloom that began in 2025 has poisoned the Sea Country her family has cared for and gathered on for millennia. She teaches young Aboriginal children and is working to keep cultural knowledge, language and connection to Country alive. Can speak to algal blooms on Sea Country and offshore gas in the Otway Basin and the Bight. More about Pam
“We stopped swimming after that and we haven’t been back in the water since… It felt like we were watching it die in front of our eyes.”
Location: Coastal South Australia
Latisha Francis, Narungga, Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna woman and marine biology student
Pam’s sister, Latisha has watched seagrass beds disappear, black swans nest less often and summers grow hotter on Sea Country. The algal bloom means her family can no longer hunt and eat from the ocean, and her younger siblings have missed out on learning from Elders there. Can speak to marine heatwaves, algal blooms and what they mean for passing culture between generations. More about Latisha
“For me, climate change is not just environmental damage. It’s cultural loss, grief and disconnection.”
Location: South Australia
Rikki Dank, Gudanji and Wakaya Traditional Owner
Rikki is from the Barkly Tablelands, where extreme heat and changing seasons are disrupting traditional food systems and making it unsafe at times to spend long periods on Country with Elders. She is fighting for her daughter’s future and the knowledge passed down through generations. Can speak to extreme heat on Country and gas fracking in the Beetaloo Basin. More about Rikki
“Too hot to live inside, too hot to live outside, too hot to live on Country.”
Location: Barkly Tablelands, NT
Jack Egan, teacher, father and grandfather
Jack lost his home and almost everything he owned in the Black Summer bushfires on New Year’s Eve 2019, when he and his partner Cath were separated for hours as fire tore through their community. Can speak to Black Summer, bushfire recovery and what Australia’s coal and gas exports cost communities at home. At COP31 from 8 to 18 November. More about Jack
“It’s a poor bet to think that we can continue fossil fuel export dependence yet avoid paying the bill later.”
Location: South Coast, NSW
GENERATION JUSTICE
Zhanāe Dodd, a proud Aboriginal woman from the Ghungalu, Garingbal, Kaanju, Birri and Wiri people, belonging to the Gurubil skingroup.
Zhanāe is fighting to protect Country and the rights of future generations from climate change and coal mining, including the Gemini coal mine on Ghungalu Country, where mining has recently begun. She is calling on the Prime Minister to meet with Generation Justice. Speaking at a Blue Zone side event with UN Special Rapporteur Elisa Morgera (16 November, 6.30pm). More about Zhanāe
“How are we supposed to protect Country when our governments keep approving projects that destroy it, and we have so little power to stop them?”
Location: Central Queensland
Yehansa Dahanayake, 18-year-old Generation Justice member
Born in Sri Lanka, Yehansa has family there living through increasingly extreme heat and heavy rainfall. She believes young people have a right to a safe future and a real say in the decisions shaping it. Can speak to young people’s experience of climate harm across borders. More about Yehansa
“Young people have the solutions we need. It’s time for the government to listen, and to act.”
Location: Sydney, NSW
LEGAL TEAM
Hannah White, Senior Lawyer, Environmental Justice Australia
Hannah is part of the legal team representing the claimants in both the Hard Truths case and Generation Justice. She was previously a senior federal prosecutor handling environmental and white-collar crime matters, and holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Wollongong and a Master of Laws from New York University. Can speak to both cases and the UN process. At COP31 from 8 to 18 November.
Jack McLean, Senior Lawyer, Human Rights Law Centre
Jack is part of the legal team bringing the Hard Truths case. He previously represented Torres Strait Islanders in a class action against the Commonwealth over climate impacts, and sits on the board of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. Can speak to the Hard Truths case. At COP31 from 15 to 21 November.
High-resolution photos of spokespeople are available for media use: Hard Truths and Generation Justice.
Contact details:
At COP31: Tessa Fluence, Environmental Justice Australia, [email protected] — Signal or WhatsApp +61 448 448 326
In Australia: Jessa Latona, Environmental Justice Australia, [email protected] — 03 8341 3110
