The ACCSP has made a major contribution to the international recognition of Australian climate change science.
Through the relatively modest investment in the Programme, there has been extraordinary leverage of international scientific resources into our areas of interest.
ACCSP researchers contributed to the international scientific understanding on many topics including the attribution of observed changes to human-induced climate change, sea-level rise projections, climate variability, extreme weather events, climate projections and ocean acidification.
In addition, ACCSP scientists worked closely with colleagues from many universities and research agencies around the world. As well as being invited to participate in and present at international meetings, our scientists brought science leaders from around the world to Australia.
Our international memberships and collaborations with agencies such as the UK Met Office, NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gave our scientists direct access to a wealth of international science beyond our own capability. The international standing of our research and scientists also enabled Australia to influence the focus of global research.
As well as funding scientists to contribute to important bilateral and multilateral collaborations between Australia and other countries, the ACCSP supported Australia’s participation in international research programs such as the World Climate Research Programme and the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme. This involvement ensured that the ACCSP science effort was both linked to, and an important component of, the global effort.
ACCSP work also contributed to the international science reviewed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Dozens of our researchers made significant contributions to the regular IPCC assessment reports that review the state of the science.