You are here
Climate Essentials
With 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record globally and changes in extreme weather being experienced more quickly than anticipated in many parts of the world, fundamental transformations in all aspects of our society are needed to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.
In Australia and our neighbouring Asia and Pacific regions, we are already experiencing the projected effects of climate change such as more frequent and intense heatwaves and storms resulting in flooding, bushfires, food and water insecurity, and socioeconomic disruption.
The Climate Essentials short course is designed for professionals across government, industry and community sectors who are interested in climate change, seek a comprehensive overview of the latest research and developments around climate change adaptation in Australia and its region, and want an understanding of where climate change intersects with a discrete range of sectors.
Delivered by the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions (ICEDS), the course brings together leading researchers from across the Australian National University to discuss with you the science, policy and practice of climate change.
"Great course...the content and presenters were a wealth of knowledge and [you] come away from it with an abundance of food for thought and questions I intend to pursue and address professionally."
(participant of Climate Essentials, February 2025 online)
Course Dates
In 2025, the Climate Essentials short course will be delivered on the following dates:
| Dates* | Mode | Registration Link |
|---|---|---|
| 18 - 20 February 2025 | Online | Registrations closed |
| 25 - 27 March 2025 | Online | Registrations closed |
| 17 June 2025 | In-Person at ANU | Register now! |
| September 2025 | In-Person at ANU | Express your interest |
| November 2025 | Online | Express your interest |
* More courses may be added to the 2025 calendar as the year progresses. To stay informed of future courses and dates, express your interest here.
To enquire about a private course for your organisation or community group, contact the ICEDS professional learning experiences team via icedscourses@anu.edu.au.
Scope
The Climate Essentials short course provides decision-makers in government, industry, non-government and community sectors with access to the latest research and ANU expertise on climate change adaptation, mitigation and co-benefits.
The course is delivered in real-time, either online or in-person, and is centred on six topic-based session with six ANU-affiliated researchers who work at the interface of science-policymaking-practice. Group discussions are also a feature of the course - during the topic sessions and at nominated group discussion times - between you, the ANU team and fellow participants who typically come from a diverse range of workplaces and sectors.
During the course, participants are encouraged to share their thoughts/experiences and will discuss ways that the research relates to their broader work contexts. On completion of the course, participants will have:
- An understanding of the key drivers and underlying processes involved in climate change, projections for the future under varying degrees of emission-reduction, and climate change mitigation concepts, targets and technologies.
- An appreciation of the key concepts pertaining to, and frameworks for, climate change adaptation, including the integration of climate adaptation in policy, and institutional and governance implications of adaptation.
- Insights into the links between values, beliefs, ideology and attitudes to climate change strategies and factors to consider when communicating on climate change.
- An understanding of the basic links between climate change and human health, including a range of responses to adapt to and mitigate climate-induced health impacts, and multidisciplinary and multisectoral approaches to action in the health sector.
- An appreciation of climate change impacts, climate security, and climate diplomacy in the Pacific region.
- A broader network of people who are working on climate change solutions, including the ANU ICEDS team.
"The different frames of reference that [the course] examines climate change in are very useful, from a physical scientific perspective to a social scientific perspective, etc."
(participant of Climate Essentials, March 2025 online)
In-Person vs Online
The in-person Climate Essentials course is a full-day, fully catered professional short course delivered from 9:00am - 5:30pm at the Australian National University (Acton campus, ACT). Six 1-hour topic sessions, plus group discussions and networking breaks are featured across the day.
The online Climate Essentials course is a 3 x half-day professional short course delivered via video conferencing software, e.g. Zoom Meetings or Microsoft Teams. Across three consecutive half-days (9:30am - 1:00pm), six 1.25-hour topic sessions are featured (two topic sessions per day), plus group discussions and breaks.
Each delivery of the Climate Essentials course differs slightly to ensure that the sessions stay relevant to the rapidly evolving climate change context. The location, logistics, presenters and specific lecture titles of each course are provided to registrants in the week before the course begins.
An overarching course program is provided in the table below as a guide.
| Session topics * |
|---|
| Welcome and introduction |
| Overview of climate change: understanding climate change impacts and extremes |
| Climate change adaptation |
| Climate change mitigation |
| Climate change and society: one specific adaptation concept/practice e.g. climate psychology, social licence, Indigenous approaches, or mis/disinformation, etc. |
| The climate change nexus: one specific adaptation pathway/sector e.g. agriculture, health, water management, circular economy, or built environment, etc. |
| Climate change in our region |
| Additional group discussion or activity |
| Closing and reflections |
* The example program is provided as a guide only. Session topics and sequencing are subject to change to achieve each course's learning outcomes and to align with contemporary challenges of climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Presenters
The Climate Essentials course features some of the Australian National University's leading climate researchers. Together, our presenters' expertise encompass all facets of climate change adaptation, mitigation and co-benefits...the conceptual, technological, economic, policy and societal opportunities and challenges.
Past and regular ANU-affiliated presenters include:
- Mark Howden, Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science (CPAS)
- Bec Colvin, Crawford School of Public Policy
- Ian Noble, College of Science
- Steve Crimp, Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions
- Sharon Friel, School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet)
- Stephen Dovers, Fenner School of Environment & Society
- Beck Pearse, School of Sociology / Fenner School of Environment & Society
- Howard Bamsey, School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet)
- Kathryn Bowen, Fenner School of Environment & Society
- Jorrit Gosens, Crawford School of Public Policy
- Valeska Ting, Research School of Chemistry
- Thomas Longden, Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions
- Brianna Gordon, Fenner School of Environment & Society
- Salā George Carter, ANU Department of Pacific Affairs
- Stephen Bygrave, College of Science
- Nina Lansbury, UQ School of Public Health
- Belle Workman, Melbourne Climate Futures
- David Stern, Crawford School of Public Policy
- Sonia Akter, Crawford School of Public Policy
- Christian Downie, School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet)
- Sotiris Vardoulakis, HEAL Centre (University of Canberra)
- Michael Tong, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health
- Jason Alexandra, Institute for Water Futures / Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions
"Presenters were exceptional in not only the knowledge on display but their presentation and willingness to respond to questions."
(participant of Climate Essentials, February 2024, online)
Who Should Attend and Why?
The course is most relevant to policymakers and practitioners in Australia, and across the Asia and Pacific regions. Participants from a range of backgrounds will benefit from the diversity of disciplines covered, which is an essential feature of the course as climate change will impact all sectors of our economy and society.
Since 2021, 650+ participants have attended the Climate Essentials course and given it an overall average rating of 4.44 out of 5 (89%, high distinction!)
Feedback from past participants tell us that the Climate Essentials course is:
"Highly valuable for my role, and also provided me with more confidence in performing my job."
(participant of Climate Essentials, February 2025, online)
"A great way to get an overview of the diversity of issues relating to climate change, and to better understand the science."
(participant of Climate Essentials, February 2024, in-person)
"Really well put together topics, with understandable content giving great concise, fundamental knowledge of each. I learned so much, and many of the gaps or grey areas in my knowledge were filled."
(participant of Climate Essentials, March 2024, online)
"I appreciated the course connected theory with real-world scenarios, making the content relevant and practical."
(participant of Climate Essentials, May 2024, online)
"Very positive experience, would reccommend to my colleagues."
(participant of Climate Essentials, April 2024, in-person)
Important Information
- The course is delivered either as a fully online course or an in-person course.
- Six broad topics are presented with breaks and group discussions.
- Registrations for this course are via Humanitix (with 100% of Humantix profits going to education charities).
- Registrations close 1 week before the course commences.
- Each individual course take place subject to demand. Registrants will receive a full refund in the unlikely event that the course is cancelled. Places are limited to 30 participants per course and registrations are on a 'first come - first served' basis. For more details on refunds, see our refund policy.
- To receive an ANU Certificate of Participation at the end of the course, participants must attend at least 50% of the topic sessions/group discussions. The ANU Certificate of Participation is not an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualification and cannot be used for course credit or exemption at ANU.
- If you have a registration request after the booking portal closes, please contact the ICEDS professional learning experiences team directly via icedscourses@anu.edu.au.
Registration Privacy Notice
By registering for this course, you are also subscribing to the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions mailing list. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe button at the bottom of correspondence. Find out more information in the course registration privacy notice.
Event Photography and Recording
ICEDS professional learning experiences may be photographed and recorded. Images and recordings are kept by ICEDS and may be used for monitoring and evaluation purposes, and for promotional purposes including websites, publications, social media and other modern technologies. If you do not want to be recorded at a course, please inform the photographer or course facilitator on the day. If you do not want to be included in a course recording, please contact us at icedscourses@anu.edu.au.