Climate Alliance Launch
In April 2020, an International Universities Climate Alliance (‘Climate Alliance’) was established to help communicate research insights on the most effective means to meet the unprecedented global challenge of climate change.
UNSW Sydney is facilitating the establishment of the Climate Alliance in its first year and has invited 40 of the world’s leading climate research universities to join the Alliance to date. Alliance members are to work together to identify the most effective ways to communicate research-based facts related to climate change to the public. Members will engage in work across climate change science, impact, mitigation strategies and adaptation.
Membership comprises a global network of universities, united by their dedication to producing critical climate research. The Climate Alliance benefits from a multi-disciplinary research focus around the most important research themes to enable greater engagement with policymakers, educators and business leaders looking to apply the latest research findings to accelerate climate action.
UNSW Sydney’s President and Vice Chancellor, Professor Ian Jacobs initiated the creation of the Climate Alliance because of the vital role universities play in advancing the science and solutions in this field, saying “This new Alliance will be at the forefront of the international conversation around addressing climate change.”
Notwithstanding current urgencies around the coronavirus pandemic, the members decided not to delay formation of the Alliance due to the pressing and ongoing need to accelerate climate action.
Professor Matthew England, academic lead of the UNSW Climate Change Grand Challenge, hopes this alliance will encourage a new era in engagement between researchers and the public; “Worldwide interest to act on climate change is strong but the pace of action has been far too slow. The Alliance aims to accelerate the global response by being a leading voice for scientifically based mitigation and adaptation strategies.”
More information about the Climate Alliance can be found on www.universitiesforclimate.org
Climate Alliance Member Universities:
Arizona State University Sorbonne University University of Leeds California Institute of Technology
TERI School of Advanced Studies University of Manchester China University of Geosciences
Texas A&M University University of Melbourne Cornell University University of São Paulo
University of Nairobi Delft University of Technology University of Bern University of NSW
Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne University of Bremen University of Reading
King’s College London University of Bristol University of Southampton McGill University
University of East Anglia University of Tasmania Monash University University of Edinburgh
University of the South Pacific Nanjing University University of Exeter University of Waikato
National University of Singapore University of Ghana University of Washington New York University
University of Helsinki Utrecht University Oregon State University University of Hong Kong
Penn State University University of Illinois