Official launch of Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes (CLEX), headquartered at UNSW and led by UNSW scientist Professor Andy Pitman, will celebrate its official launch today.

The new Centre builds on the research carried out by the earlier ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science but focuses directly on extreme weather and climate events. It aims to improve our understanding of the processes that trigger these extreme events and build this understanding into climate modelling systems.

Guests at the launch will include the Federal Minister for Small and Family Business, the Workplace and Deregulation, the Hon Craig Laundy; CEO of the Australian Research Council Professor Sue Thomas; and UNSW President and Vice Chancellor Professor Ian Jacobs. UNSW Dean of Science Professor Emma Johnston will act as MC of the event.  

CLEX is a multi-institutional research centre. Other Australian university partners are Monash University, The University of Melbourne, The University of Tasmania and the Australian National University. It also collaborates with a suite of national and international Partner Organisations made up of leading climate research laboratories around the world. The Centre is funded by a significant $30 million grant from the Australian Research Council, with additional generous support from our partner organisations.

The research in this new Centre will reveal how processes lead to extreme events in the past, present and future climate and will guide businesses, public services and environmental management in building resilience to climate extremes.

The invitation event will be held from 4:15pm Tuesday, April 10 in the John Niland Scientia Building.

UNSW scientist Professor Andy Pitman, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes.