General – IUCA website

Most Australians doubt health system is ready for climate-related emergencies, national survey finds

NikkiMorse — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:59:13 +0000

Most Australians recognise climate change as a serious national issue, and many believe it poses a serious risk to their personal health, according to major new research led by the Australian Institute of Health Innovation (AIHI) at Macquarie University published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

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University of Reading launches new eight-part podcast series exploring turning climate knowledge into action

NikkiMorse — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:30:58 +0000

As the impacts of climate change continue to shape our world, a new eight-part podcast series from the University of Reading explores one of the defining questions of our time: what can we do about it?

Reading Ahead brings together experts and leading voices to explore the challenges that will shape the century ahead. The first episode focuses on how we can turn climate knowledge into meaningful climate action.

Chancellor Paul Lindley OBE is joined by Professor Andrew Charlton-Perez OBE and broadcast meteorologist Laura Tobin to discuss some of the key questions surrounding climate change.

Can we talk about climate change without creating despair? Can individual actions really make a difference? And whose responsibility is it to act?

The University of Reading has been a leading voice in climate science for more than a century. As the University celebrates its centenary, Reading Ahead looks to the future, exploring how its expertise and research can help society respond to one of the greatest challenges of our time.

Episode 1 is available now : watch it on YouTube or listen on Spotify

UNFCCC Climate Week 4 in Baku | Turning Knowledge into Climate Action

NikkiMorse — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:47:58 +0000

Universities have a vital role to play in turning climate knowledge into meaningful, inclusive action.

On 9 September, IUCA joined policymakers, practitioners and partners at UNFCCC Climate Week 4 in Baku for Turning Knowledge into Action: How Universities Drive Just and Inclusive Climate Ambition and Implementation through Action for Climate Empowerment.

The session explored how universities can contribute to Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) through research, education, public engagement, capacity building and collaboration, helping to connect knowledge with climate policy and implementation.

The discussion highlighted the unique position of universities as trusted sources of knowledge, convenors of diverse communities and partners in developing practical climate solutions.

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Climate risk is changing where banks lend – before disaster strikes

NikkiMorse — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 12:49:14 +0000

As a finance researcher at the UNSW Sydney Business School, and Senior Deputy Director of the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response, A/Prof. Romero Cortes says climate change is increasingly a financial problem.

She is the co-author of a new study, suggesting banks are adjusting their behaviour in anticipation of physical climate risk, before storms, floods or fires translate into financial losses.

“The finance side of climate risk isn’t just ‘disaster happens, then bank suffers’,” A/Prof. Romero Cortes says.

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“E-walleting the sun”: Challenges of affordability and justice for South Africa’s energy transition

NikkiMorse — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 12:30:09 +0000

South Africa’s energy transition has gained significant momentum in recent years, driven by the urgency of load shedding and growing investment in renewable energy. The electricity crisis easing has catalysed questions about whether the country can balance climate commitments, energy security, affordability and social justice.

These, among other critical questions, shaped the sixth instalment of the Collective Conversations: On Science for Society, a dialogue series hosted by the University of Cape Town (UCT).

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Pioneering research institute to celebrate 10th anniversary

NikkiMorse — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:58:47 +0000

Researchers, policymakers and business leaders will gather at University of Exeter next week for the 10th anniversary of a world leading research centre committed to tackling the most urgent environmental and economic challenges.

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USP Opens Landmark Sustainable Energy Training Centre for the Region

NikkiMorse — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 10:09:08 +0000

The University of the South Pacific has officially opened its new Sustainable Energy Training Centre, a purpose-built facility designed to support hands-on training in solar technology, energy efficiency, battery storage and other emerging clean-energy fields.

As USP Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council, the Right Honourable Siosiua Utoikamanu noted, “This is a significant investment, not simply in a building, but in the people and skills that will support the sustainable energy future of Fiji and the Pacific.”

The Centre was officially opened by Fiji’s Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport, Honourable Ro Filipe Tuisawau, who highlighted the vital role renewable energy skills will play in supporting sustainable development and climate resilience across the region.

Developed through strong partnerships with government, industry and regional stakeholders, the Centre will help equip students, technicians and professionals with the skills needed to support the Pacific’s growing renewable energy sector and sustainable development goals.

USP also acknowledges and sincerely thanks The Philanthropic Foundation from the United States, whose generous support helped make this facility a reality.

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Shaping global climate education

NikkiMorse — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:15:48 +0000

A new children’s book is bringing indigenous knowledge to the heart of global climate education, while preserving a threatened language.

Tualang Honey, developed through the School of Education’s ‘Voices of the Rainforest’ project, tells the story of the Jahai Orang Asli community in Malaysia and their deep connection to the rainforest they call home.

Written by Dr Syafiq Mat Noor, Lecturer in Climate Change Education at the University of Leeds, the book is one of the first published children’s texts in the endangered Jahai language, and is part of an effort to rethink climate education.

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UK politicians think public opposition to climate policy is far greater than it is, study finds

NikkiMorse — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:44:50 +0000

Members of Parliament from the UK’s three biggest political parties in the House of Commons significantly overestimate levels of public resistance to major policy proposals for tackling climate change, a University of Cambridge study suggests.

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NUS and A*STAR researchers lead S$22 million SG Bio-SPRINT programme to develop sustainable plant-based specialty polymers

NikkiMorse — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 14:40:51 +0000

Research will develop alternative sustainable monomers, structurally similar to petrochemical equivalents, for making sustainable, high-performance specialty polymers used in adhesives, specialty coatings and electronics.

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