The Australian Academy of Science today welcomed the announcement that an Australian scientist will Chair the Science Committee of the new international Future Earth initiative.
Foreign Secretary of the Academy, Professor Andrew Holmes, congratulated CSIRO researcher Dr Mark Stafford-Smith on his appointment as inaugural Chair, and Australian National University researcher Professor Xuemei Bai on her appointment as a member of the committee.
“Future Earth is an important international research initiative that will help the entire planet respond effectively to the risks and opportunities of global environmental change and support transformation towards global sustainability,” Professor Holmes said.
“To have two Australians appointed to this 18-member team – one as its Chair – is a strong endorsement of Australia’s contribution to global knowledge on climate change, and well deserved recognition of Dr Stafford-Smith’s and Professor Bai’s important work.
The Science Committee is the first governing body to be appointed to the initiative, which brings together the United Nations, the International Council for Science (ICSU), and the International Council for Social Science to build on the success of existing global environmental change programs including the International Geosphere Biosphere Program (IGBP) and the World Climate Research Program (WCRP).
The Australian Academy of Science is Australia’s representative body of ICSU, the IGBP and WCRP.
The Future Earth Science Committee will make recommendations on new and existing projects, and emerging priorities for research.
“Future Earth will be a global platform to deliver collaborative solutions for sustainability, linking environmental change and development challenges to satisfy human needs for food, water, energy and health,” Professor Holmes said.
Dr Stafford-Smith is Director of CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship. Professor Bai is a Professor of Urban Environment and Human Ecology at the Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University.
More information on Future Earth is available at www.icsu.org/news-centre/future-earth/
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