Spotlight
Universities Collaborating for Climate Impact
The Secretariat of the International Universities Climate Alliance, hosted by UNSW Sydney, shares its thoughts on how university collaboration and partnerships are important for addressing global challenges.
"Universities have a vital convening role to assist society moving on critical issues, including bringing together global experts to provide a robust evidence base to accelerate action."
QS: What is the International Universities Climate Alliance? What are its vision and mission?
The International Universities Climate Alliance (IUCA), founded by UNSW in 2020, represents nearly 50 climate research universities from across 23 countries – all united by a shared vision to accelerate action on climate change. Universities are uniquely placed to convene diverse and multi-disciplinary expertise and to share knowledge. We believe it is through globally coordinated collaboration that we can create greater insight, and action. The Alliance works closely with UN agencies, global networks and organisations, including QS, that share its strategic objectives.
The Alliance’s vision is to be a global source of trusted scientific research and evidence-based practice on climate change science, impacts, adaptation and mitigation - climate research and climate education.
Members demonstrate climate research capability and action, in addition to promotion of research through outreach and campus practices, as well as supporting global leaders, policymakers and industry in planning for and responding to climate change. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 13 (Climate Action) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) remain at the heart of the Alliance Strategy 2023 – 2025.
QS: What are the short-term goals of the Alliance? What are its long-term goals?
Strong international cooperation is needed now more than ever to ensure that countries have the means to address climate change, so we must vastly increase our efforts. The world must transform its energy, industry, transport, food, agriculture and forestry systems to ensure that we can limit global temperature rise and maintain net zero pathway commitments.
The 2023 – 2025 Strategic Plan includes both global and regional initiatives and is focused on the role of universities in: sustainable climate education and literacy; climate research; collaboration and knowledge exchange; and maintaining sustainable institutions. The plan includes goals to: provide thought leadership; communicate, advocate and provide outreach; showcase research and expertise; facilitate best practice exchange; and enable member universities to build research and education collaborations via the Alliance.
Looking forward, universities are considering their role in contributing to what comes next. A long-term framework for our thinking, and the way we help shape the trajectories of our students, the world’s future leaders.
QS: Membership for the Alliance is very global. Why is it important to have international and domestic partnerships and how does this reflect both the mission of universities and the organisation?
‘Transformative change requires trust, with institutions working collaboratively and sharing benefits and burdens equitably. The International Universities Climate Alliance is committed to strengthening an increasingly diverse global membership base, in which all members have different responsibilities and different opportunities to bring about change. Some are already well ahead and can continue to achieve a great deal, while others will need support to help manage the change. I know that together we can make an impact.’ — Scientia Professor Matthew England, Global Academic Lead, International Universities Climate Alliance.
Alliance global initiatives and special interest groups involve both domestic and global partners. These events and special interest outputs provide an opportunity to bridge dialogue and knowledge exchange between the Global North and South and enable connections across disciplines and borders. Often, informing global policy requires expertise and information that does not reside with one institution or within one region.
QS: There is a strong focus on research and research collaboration within the Alliance. It can be a challenge to bring the right people together. How does the organisation facilitate and encourage that?
With designated points of contact at each member university, the Alliance is uniquely positioned as a global convener, regularly collaborating with UN agencies, global and regional organisations and networks. These collaborations enable the Alliance to: optimise higher-education sector navigation; reduce duplication; ensure globally coordinated climate action within the sector; leverage global and regional expertise; and to ensure diverse and equitable access to initiatives and information.
For example, the 2024 inaugural Global Thematic Dialogue Series brought together educators, student leaders, researchers, professional staff, Early Career Researchers and partner organisations from around the world to discuss key climate themes being faced by the higher education sector globally. The online series considered 3 topics including: interdisciplinary collaboration and multidisciplinary partnerships for climate action within higher education; perspectives on operationalising and actioning the reduction of Scope 3 emissions within the supply chain of universities; and global youth perspectives on climate education exploring opportunities for integrating youth perspectives into decision-making.
Why is it important to also collaborate with business and other non-university entities?
Many of the most impactful pieces of work within higher education have been and are being achieved in collaboration with other sectors. To accelerate meaningful action on climate change to maintain pathways to net zero commitments requires multi-sectoral collaboration.
For example, in support of the UNFCCC Climate-Proofing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) campaign, the Alliance worked in collaboration with Cambridge Zero and the Centre for Climate Engagement at Hughes Hall, alongside global partners and networks to bring together academic experts on SMEs and climate change to discuss and document current academic insights on the drivers, enablers, and challenges of climate-proofing small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Contributions were collated and tabled at the COP29 High-level multi-stakeholder roundtable on SMEs as a driver of a just transition and a resilient green economy. These academic insights informed COP29 discussions between High Level Champions and key policy makers/party and Non-State-Actor representatives.
One challenge around climate change is communicating and helping the community understand research. How are universities placed to bring together the community and help them understand and connect with the research?
A current key strategic focus area for the Alliance is considering the role of universities in sustainable climate education and literacy. A recent example was the Global Thematic Dialogue on the leadership role universities must play in supporting the next generation of climate and sustainability leaders. The event drew on experts and leaders in climate education and youth empowerment from within higher education, as well as youth representatives and students from universities across the globe. Participants considered how the higher education sector can develop and deliver the skills needed for current and future leaders in climate action, as well as provide opportunities for integrating youth perspectives into decision-making.
The Alliance also recently celebrated its Global Academic Lead, Scientia Professor Matthew England who received the 2024 Pavel S. Molchanov Climate Communications Prize - the first Australian to receive the honour.
How does the Alliance see itself contributing to the broader climate change narrative?
Global university collaboration and deepening partnerships is crucial for addressing global challenges.
For example, the Alliance, in collaboration with the UN-Water Expert Group on Water and Climate Change, has undertaken a study on the water requirements of climate mitigation measures. The study, led by the UNSW Global Water Institute, was presented at the opening of the Bonn Climate Change Conference (SB60) in June 2024 providing preliminary global estimates on the freshwater required to meet Paris Agreement targets. The UN-Water Expert Group on Water and Climate Change is co-ordinated by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This study formed a critical input to a UN-Analytical Brief that was tabled at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan to inform global policy makers on the freshwater requirements for their own Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Professor Attila Brungs, Chair of the IUCA and Vice-Chancellor of UNSW Sydney, said universities have a vital convening role to assist society moving on critical issues, including bringing together global experts to provide a robust evidence base to accelerate action.
"In 2024 the Climate Alliance worked in collaboration with the UN-Water Expert Group to assess the water requirements of climate mitigation measures, and advanced global efforts to climate-proof small and medium enterprises," he said.
"The IUCA also shone a spotlight on how universities around the world are addressing Scope 3 emissions, and how education institutions can demonstrate best practice when it comes to reducing carbon reliance."