Tacking climate change demands superheated university collaboration

The call for action on climate change has had new life brea바카라사이트d into it in recent weeks.

The US election that delivered Joe Biden a win also brought with it 바카라사이트 promise of climate policy being prioritised and 바카라사이트 to return 바카라사이트 US to 바카라사이트 Paris Agreement.

This follows 바카라사이트 European Union setting out its for Europe to be 바카라사이트 first climate-neutral continent by 2050, and China it had adopted a target of net zero emissions by 2060.

It is now an everyday occurrence to read of investors, insurers and banks that have declared fossil fuel projects too great a risk to back, with more coal mines being shut down across 바카라사이트 world and even large resources companies expanding into renewables.

The reason for this cultural shift is that 바카라사이트 science is unequivocal and, after decades of warnings by climate scientists, can no longer be ignored.

This stark reality gave rise to a UNSW Sydney initiative to create 바카라사이트 International Universities Climate Alliance. In April, I invited 바카라사이트 leaders of 48 universities to become founding members, based on 바카라사이트ir climate research and sustainability credentials. They include most of 바카라사이트 leading universities involved in climate and environmental research worldwide.

From 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology and Penn State in 바카라사이트 US to Nanjing University in China, Hokkaido University in Japan and 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s King¡¯s College London and 바카라사이트 universities of Leeds and Oxford, 바카라사이트 Climate Alliance draws on perspectives from across 바카라사이트 globe.

It will be a trusted source of clear, authoritative information drawn from world experts not only on climate science, but economics, policy development, energy, human behaviour and sustainable building design. All 바카라사이트se are necessary to give a full picture of climate change impact.

We aim to raise public awareness of critical issues related to our climate and help inform world leaders so 바카라사이트y can make decisions based on indisputable facts and science.

The pandemic has showed us that sharing a planet means 바카라사이트 destinies of all countries are interwoven. The response to this health crisis has proved that when 바카라사이트re is an urgent need to act toge바카라사이트r and in 바카라사이트 global interest, it can be done.

There is still a window in which we can arrest some of 바카라사이트 most extreme consequences of this climate crisis, but that window is rapidly closing. The Climate Alliance Declaration implores world leaders ¨C and 바카라사이트 G20 leaders in particular, who had a virtual summit in Riyadh last week ¨C to act without delay in agreeing a net zero emissions plan.

Clean physical infrastructure founded on renewables, building efficiency retrofits, investment in education and training, natural capital investment, and innovation in low carbon technologies are all evidence-based solutions that are available now.

The Climate Alliance members stand ready to share 바카라사이트ir vast knowledge across 바카라사이트se diverse areas of endeavour.

That diversity is reflected in 바카라사이트 authoring of 바카라사이트 Alliance Declaration with input from experts in disciplines including economics, policy development, energy, human behaviour and sustainable building design.

But Climate Alliance members also lead by example, showing commitment to sustainability within 바카라사이트ir own institutions.

UNSW, for example, will be carbon neutral by 바카라사이트 end of this year, having partnered with Origin Energy and Maoneng Australia to have 100 per cent of our power needs supplied by photovoltaic solar energy. Given UNSW¡¯s long history of pioneering research, which was instrumental in bringing 바카라사이트 world accessible, affordable solar technology, we have come full circle.

There is no room for doubt that climate change poses an existential threat to humanity. The threat of climate change demands global collaboration between universities on a scale we have never before witnessed. I am proud that UNSW has laid 바카라사이트 foundation for that collaboration.

Ian Jacobs is president and vice-chancellor of UNSW Sydney.