When it comes to climate change, everyone wants to know whether things are likely to get better or worse. To help answer this question UNSW and the Faculty of Science formed a new centre - the Climate Change Research Centre (CCRC) - in 2007. Backed by a $6 million funding boost CCRC will eventually house 60 researchers helping UNSW to lead the world in southern hemisphere climatology.

In its first year, CCRC contributed to the global debate on climate change. UNSW climatologists were front and centre heading a consortium of more than 200 of the world’s leading climate scientists at the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali. Their declaration urged governments to act immediately to cut greenhouse gas emissions citing a window of just 10-15 years to implement a 50 percent reduction target by 2050.

CCRC addresses almost every aspect of climate change. It looks at the causes as well as the wide ranging impact climate change is having on communities, public health, the law, buildings and the economy.

Headed by two of Australia’s best and brightest climatologists, Professor Matthew England and Professor Andy Pitman, CCRC is now a focal point for a diverse network of Australian researchers from other universities and major government research groups including ANSTO, CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology and Australian Antarctic Division.

UNSW wants you to lend your voice to climate change. Sustainability is a priority for the University in research, teaching and the way the campus operates. The Vice Chancellor, Professor Fred Hilmer, will hold his second Climate Change forum in 2008 to seek out new ideas and initiatives from staff and students to achieve UNSW's aim of having the greenest campus in the southern hemisphere.

In addition to regular public discussions, an online forum has been set up so that all members of the UNSW community can engage in helping the University tackle climate change.

Go to the Environment@UNSW Online Forum

Or you can Send us your Quick Idea.

2007 was the second warmest year in the last 100 years and sea ice in the Arctic is now at record low levels. NASA predicts the world will experience record high temperatures in the next three years.
Go to NASA site