Universities unite for climate change research

Three of Australia's top universities have formed an alliance to lead the country in climate change research, education and policy.

The Universities Climate Consortium (UCC) builds on three years of collaborative work and will include teams from UNSW, ANU and Monash University.

"The consortium establishes and unifies world-class, strategic, team-based climate science capability for Australia," said UNSW Vice Chancellor, Professor Fred Hilmer.

The consortium is the Australian equivalent to the US University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a non-profit consortium of national and international university members. It will provide three important strands to climate change research.

UNSW, led by Professors Andy Pitman and Matthew England, will take the lead on research into the terrestrial and marine processes related to climate change. Monash University, led by Professor Amanda Lynch, will take the lead on the atmospheric science of climate change, including storms, fire and flood. ANU will lead research on the economic and policy dimensions of climate change adaptation.

"The consortium has the capability to attack the most critical climate questions facing Australia," said Professor Will Steffen, director of the Fenner school of environment and society at ANU.

"Together, we will be able to address important natural science questions such as the likely future behaviour of El Niño, the relationships between climate change, drought and water availability, and the science underpinning abrupt climate change and extreme events."