Adam Gottschalk: a campaigner for climate action

Where did your passion for the environment first begin?

My parents were great at instilling a love of the outdoors and animals in me from a young age. I was fortunate enough to grow up in two beautiful cities: I was born in Cape Town, and I moved to Sydney when I was eight years old.

In terms of the political nature of my love for the environment, I would trace that to the end of high school, which coincided at a time when the School Strike 4 Climate was big and there was the 2019 election, which was disappointing from a climate perspective. That's where I started to get more interested in the political side of things, and I decided to study these issues at university.

Just a few weeks ago, I was spring cleaning in my childhood house, and I came across old exercise books that I'd written in primary school. I was reading them and discovered that even at 10 or 11 years old, I had a very environmentalist outlook. I had no idea my interest stretched back that far!

How has your passion for the environment changed over time?

Over my time at university studying politics, philosophy, economics and then also environmental studies, it became increasingly clear to me that I don't think as a contemporary society, we've reckoned enough with or really comprehend the extent to which environmental protection and promotion is not an option or a luxury. It’s essential. Everything that we care about is grounded in a healthy environment and climate, so there's very much this question of necessity.