Former Environment minister and now in the role of minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Greg Hunt has told CSIRO executives and board members that climate science needs to be a ‘bedrock function’ of the government-funded body.
The news arrives courtesy of statements made to Fairfax Media by Hunt, who described the CSIRO’s new strategy as one that would include 15 new climate science jobs and funding worth $37 million over 10 years – the exact details of which are expected to be finalised over the next three months.
“I’ve issued a ministerial directive … that we will make climate science a core activity, that we will strengthen and build capacity,” he said.
Hunt’s actions are being described as a U-turn in the media, as it comes less than six months since severe cuts to the research organisation were announced, including the loss of 275 jobs, many from climate-related departments.
Speaking to Wild, emeritus professor at ANU and climate councillor Will Steffen commended the government on its action, calling it a “welcome step in the right direction”.
“The earlier round of cuts caused outrage from local and international science bodies, so I think the government must be realising climate science is a serious issue and one that’s not going to go away.
“But we need to strengthen our climate science even more if we’re to try and meet our international commitments. The CSIRO is just one part of that. There is more work to be done even more broadly than that done by the CSIRO if we’re to halt climate change.”
While many echo Steffen’s opinion that this is a step in the right direction, researchers who are still slated to lose their jobs at the CSIRO have told ABC that they were finding the new directive ‘hard to digest’.
“The reaction in Hobart has flipped between bewilderment, despair, anger, and frustration,” said University of Tasmania polar scientist Matt King.