Australian Climate Institute to close

Australian non-governmental organisation the Climate Institute has announced it will close after 12 years, after failing to raise the necessary funds to continue.

‘With the expiry of its original founding bequest, and despite ongoing support from a range of philanthropic and business entities, the board has been unable to secure sufficient funding to continue the level and quality of work that is representative of [the Climate Institute’s] strong reputation,’ said Mark Wootton, the institute’s board chair, in a statement.

Throughout its life the Climate Institute conducted research into the impacts of climate change, as well as campaigning for policy changes to reduce emissions, such as the expansion of the country’s renewable energy target in 2008 and the implementation of the Clean Energy Future Act, which included an emissions trading scheme, in 2012.

It will close on 30 June this year. Until then it will continue to run a ‘core body of projects’ and collaborate with other climate-focused organisations to ensure its work can live on.