Staff

• Professor Llewelyn Hughes, Director
• Aidan Muirhead, Institute Manager
• For all Institute staff click here

Strategic Plan

In October 2021 the Institute published its 2025 Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan committed to build the capacity of the Institute to catalyse and advance climate, energy and disaster solutions by:

• Facilitating, developing, supporting and catalysing integrated, innovative, transdisciplinary approaches to climate, energy and disaster solutions research
• Developing a program of world-leading executive education and supporting ANU
• Schools to provide undergraduate and postgraduate education across these three themes
• Providing high level policy engagement and advice, media engagement, events and digital communications, positioning the Institute as a leading honest broker of knowledge around climate, energy and disaster solutions
• Supporting capacity building across ANU via development of networks, training, leadership opportunities and career development for ANU climate, energy and disaster risk researchers
• Leading research, teaching and community engagement around ANU Below Zero

Click here to read the ICEDS 2025 Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan Extension 2026​

MISSION: To advance innovative solutions to address climate change, energy system transitions and disasters.​

The Institute’s strategic goals for 2026 are:​

• Connection: Harness the diverse knowledge, expertise and infrastructure of theUniversity to build communities that transform climate change mitigation andadaptation systems for a more sustainable future.

• Collaboration: Lead and enable interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary projectsthataddress complex climate change mitigation and adaptation challenges.​

• Capability: Develop and support the capacity of students, researchers andinnovators to provide a future-ready climate change, energy transition anddisaster risk and resilience workforces.​

• Network of networks: Act as a front door for external stakeholders across theAustralian Capital Territory, Australia, Asia and the Pacific, and the world, toengage ANU and the University’s experts on climate change, energy transition, anddisaster risk and resilience issues. Act as a connection hub for students, staff,other Institutes, Centres, Schools and Colleges across ANU. ​

We will deliver these strategic goals through four initiatives:​

• Catalysing world-class fundamental and translational research. Facilitating anddeveloping integrated, innovative, transdisciplinary approaches toclimate, energy and disaster solutions research.​

• Enabling engagement with ANU research and researchers. Leading and enablinghigh level engagement and advice, media engagement, events and digitalcommunications, positioning the Institute and the University as a leading andhonest broker of knowledge around climate, energy and disaster solutions.​

• Developing a program of world-leading Executive Education across these themes,including collaboration with other ANU groups in development and delivery ofnon-award teaching activities.​

• Capacity building across ANU via creation and support of networks, training andcareer development, and leadership opportunities for ICEDS members -researchers and staff.​

We have identified six thematic areas for engagement based on UNFCCC topics: ​

• Mitigation & just transition​

• Adaptation & resilience​

• Empowered communities​

• Land use, water & conservation​

• Finance & economics​

• Technology & innovation​

These areas will consider using cross-cutting themes of Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion, First Nations and Indigenous perspectives, UN Sustainable DevelopmentGoals and other engaged research approaches. ​