In a bid to help fight climate change and provide relevant insight and action to various stakeholders, 40 world-class universities have come together to form The International Universities Climate Alliance. The Climate Alliance will provide a central hub for universities to share the latest climate research with the public and enable greater collaboration between leading research teams, supporting global leaders, policy makers and industry in planning for and responding to climate change, it said in a statement.
"Climate change presents the world with both an enormous challenge to overcome and an opportunity to come together, share knowledge and invest in our shared future. The Climate Alliance seeks to support global leaders to meet this challenge through sharing evidence-based information on climate research," the Alliance emphasized.
Universities are uniquely placed to share knowledge and expertise, not only in climate science, but in related research fields including, adaptation and mitigation.
"Universities have a responsibility to serve the global community to help it meet the most complex challenges facing humanity. My hope is that this alliance by bringing together the best minds in the world will find a way to stem the existential threat of climate change," said Ian Jacobs, UNSW Sydney President and Vice-Chancellor.
UNSW Sydney is facilitating the establishment of the Climate Alliance in its first year and has invited 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.
"This new Alliance will be at the forefront of the international conversation around addressing climate change," said Jacobs.
Notwithstanding current urgencies around the new coronavirus pandemic, the members decided not to delay formation of the Alliance due to the pressing and ongoing need to accelerate climate action.
"We are proud to be a founding member of the climate alliance that brings together leading universities to address threats of climate change. TERI SAS is one of the few universities globally, fully dedicated to accelerating the transition to a more sustainable world in sync with its motto of knowledge for sustainable development," said Professor Shaleen Singhal, Dean (Research and Relationships), TERI School of Advanced Studies.
