The Australian National University Council has called for urgent action to address the growing challenge of climate change.

In a resolution from its latest meeting, ANU Council also said the University will act and "speak strongly in public" to help address climate change across the University and more widely.

Referencing Australia's recent summer, the resolution noted Australians and the ANU community had to deal with severe weather events, including bushfires, smoke and hailstorm.

"These unprecedented severe events have been exacerbated by climate change, as ANU scientists, among others, have long predicted and warned," the resolution reads.

"ANU needs to respond to these challenges with a continued focus on world-leading climate research and adapt to climate change.

"The ANU Council therefore recognises the urgency of action to address the growing climate challenge, to which the University will respond collectively, using the resources at its disposal."

Identified responses include making ANU greenhouse gas negative "as soon as possible", an idea flagged in ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt's 2020 State of the University address.

Director of the ANU Climate Change Institute Professor Mark Howden and his colleagues have been called upon to spearhead this bold goal.

Read the full article on the ANU website, including commentary by Professor Mark Howden