Chapter 8 Summary of International Linkages and National Activity

National Activity > Commonwealth Agency Involvement

The principal Australian Government entities engaged in climate or climate change activities include:

• The Bureau of Meteorology (an Executive Agency within the Environment and Heritage Portfolio), which operates the national climate observing networks and the National Climate Centre (NCC), maintains a computer and document archive of Australia’s climatological database, provides a range of climate data, information and monitoring services on a national basis, through both the NCC and its network of regional offices, and maintains an ongoing climate research program, through the Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre.
• The CSIRO has a substantial research program encompassing atmospheric, oceanographic, hydrological and biospheric aspects of the climate system and a range of climate impact and response areas, such as agriculture, forestry and energy technology. The focus for climate-related activities is provided through the Climate and Atmosphere Sector.
• The Australian Greenhouse Office (an Executive Agency within the Environment and Heritage Portfolio), reports through the Chief Executive of the AGO jointly to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage and the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources. The AGO coordinates Australia’s domestic climate change policy and administers key greenhouse response programs including the National Carbon Accounting System, the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory and National Greenhouse Research Program. The latter contributes funding to greenhouse research undertaken by CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology, the National Tidal Centre and other organisations (including universities).
• Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) which, through its research Bureaus (BRS, ABARE), the Research and Development Corporations (jointly funded by industry) and its various agriculture and water related programs, conducts or funds substantial climate and climate related research and applications, and the development and implementation of strategies to respond and/or adapt to climate variability and change.
• Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources (DITR) which, through Geoscience Australia (GA) and through its various energy related programs, conducts climate related research and investigations, and develops and implements strategies to respond and/or adapt to climate change.
• The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) of the Department of the Environment and Heritage runs a substantial research program in ice mass balance, sea ice dynamics and palaeoclimatological reconstruction of ice cores, which contribute directly to the program of the CRC for Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems. AAD scientists also undertake research on biological and upper atmospheric topics with direct relevance to the goal of understanding the role of Antarctica in the global climate system. The AAD also provides all the infrastructure and logistics to facilitate all climate studies in Antarctica, the sub- Antarctic islands and the Southern Ocean.
• The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) contributes to climate research, drawing on its unique expertise in identifying and tracking radionuclides. Jointly with CSIRO, BoM and other organisations, ANSTO’s research has enabled measurements of gaseous exchanges and refined dates in palaeoclimatic events.
• The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) conducts climate-related research and associated monitoring aimed at describing, understanding and modelling the influence of weather and climate on variability in shallow-water tropical systems.

Other Commonwealth portfolios are also involved with climate issues in various ways, such as through international negotiations and funding of projects related to the economics of climate change (Foreign Affairs and Trade) and funding of climate-related research in universities (Education, Science and Training). The Natural Heritage Trust, which is jointly administered by DEH and DAFF, has a number of programs, such as Landcare and Bushcare, which have a strong climate underpinning.

It is difficult to provide an annual Commonwealth expenditure on climate activities because much of the work underpins or is aimed indirectly at climate issues, and is spread widely through agencies without always being identified specifically as climate-related. A summary estimate of indicative expenditure for the major players, based on available documentation and agency estimates is given in Table 8.1.

Table 8.1 attempts to distinguish between expenditure directly on climate activity (ie. where climate is the primary objective of the expenditure, such as the National Climate Centre and the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO climate research programs) and total climate-related expenditure (including indirect costs, such as the entire costs of that part of the Bureau of Meteorology's meteorological observing networks and data processing systems that provide the national climate record even though these also serve other purposes, such as operational weather forecasting).