Independent senator David Pocock and the former president of Kiribati Anote Tong will address a climate forum in Newcastle on Monday that will focus on the coal industry's ongoing expansion.
Other speakers include Climate Council director Professor Lesley Hughes and former Newcastle Young Citizen of the Year Alexa Stuart.
"On Monday night, we're bracing ourselves for grim updates about the state of the climate crisis. Young people are terrified about accelerating climate breakdown, but many of us are also more determined than ever to fight for our future," Ms Stuart said.
The forum comes ahead of a planned blockade of Newcastle Port on Saturday November 25.
The action, which organisers say will be the "largest climate civil disobedience in Australian history" is expected to attract climate activists from across Australia.
Professor Lesley Hughes is a professor of biology and former pro vice-chancellor at Macquarie University. She said it was essential that the clean energy transition occurred as quickly as possible.
"We are in a climate emergency and the multitude of broken climate records in 2023 should bring this home to everyone. We absolutely must transition out of deadly fossil fuels as soon as possible. Life on Earth depends on it," she said.
Senator David Pocock said he was also keen to see firsthand some of the critical work that's driving Australia's transition to renewable energy.
He will tour the University of Newcastle's Institute for Energy and Resources meet Open Foundation students and visit the Wollotuka Institute which in 2023 celebrates 40 years of working to advance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and research.
"The work the University of Newcastle is doing with their pathways programs to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds is nation-leading. We need to keep striving to make tertiary education accessible to all Australians," he said.
Following this he will visit Energy Renaissance, checking out Australia's first Gigafactory and their advanced battery manufacturing.
"Energy Renaissance is walking the talk when it comes to realising the massive opportunities open to Australia from the energy transition for value add manufacturing and creating the next generation of secure, high value jobs."
Monday's public forum will be held at Newcastle Town Hall at 6pm.
