Join Allegra Spender MP in conversation with climate activist Anjali Sharma, 2023 NSW Young Australian of the year and sustainability expert Lottie Dalziel and Head of Policy and Law Reform at the Environmental Defenders Office, Rachel Walmsley to discuss the government’s environmental duty of care, intergenerational impacts of climate change and young people’s role in climate action.

Anjali Sharma (she/her) is 19 years old. At 16, she became the lead litigant of Sharma vs Environment Minister, a class action legal case which argued that the Environment Minister owes all young people a duty of care to protect them from the impacts of climate change. In 2021, she was successful, but following an appeal from the Minister, this ruling was overturned. However, Anjali continued the campaign, now calling to have this duty legislated through Federal Parliament. Anjali aims to raise awareness about the disproportionate impacts of climate change, particularly towards young people and people of colour.

Lottie Dalziel, sustainability expert and founder of Banish, is aiming to help Australians reduce their waste with the right products and even better information. In 2020, she delivered a TEDx talk – The Power of Community in Fighting Climate Change. In 2021 and 2022 Lottie was named as one of Australia's Top 50 People in E-Commerce and won Business NSW Sydney Metro Young Entrepreneur of the Year with Banish taking out the Sustainable Excellence award and winning overall Business of the Year. She was also named 2023 NSW Young Australian of the Year for her work educating Australians on how to live more sustainably. And in 2023 was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in Asia in the Social Impact category. Lottie also runs BRAD – the Banish Recycling and Disposal Program. People send in hard-to-recycle items, such as blister packs, and they partner with Australian recyclers to have them recycled onshore. The BRAD initiative recycled 11 tonnes of waste, or 150,000 products, from 11,000 households within its first 20 months.

Rachel Walmsley has over 20 years’ experience working on public interest environmental policy and law reform and spearheads national law reform work at Environment Defenders Office. She has written and presented extensive submissions and discussion papers, and advised governments, parliamentary inquiries and NGOs on a range of environmental law issues including climate policy, natural resource management and biodiversity laws. Rachel is listed in Best Lawyers Australia in the climate change and environmental & planning law categories.

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