International climate alliance to be hosted at Reading
30 September 2025
The University of Reading will lead a major group of world universities in the global response to climate change.
The International Universities Climate Alliance (IUCA) will be hosted by Reading from 2026 – 2028. The Climate Alliance is a central hub for universities to share the latest climate research with the public and enable greater collaboration between leading research teams, global leaders, policy makers and industry.
As the next host of the Secretariat, the University of Reading will advance IUCA’s global impact and maintain the foundations established by founders UNSW Sydney.
Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, will chair the IUCA. He said: “The University of Reading shares IUCA members' deep commitment to understanding and addressing global environmental challenges. So, we are delighted to be the new host of the IUCA Secretariat, and we are excited to work with UNSW to engage with all of you and chart our way forward. With the appointment of our Secretariat team due in October, we look forward to leveraging the natural synergies between Reading's strengths and IUCA's mission.”
Our commitment to the IUCA
As part of the University of Reading’s submission to host the Secretariat of the International Universities Climate Alliance, it set out to provide:
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Premier scientific leadership: The University of Reading has one of the largest clusters of meteorologists in the world, who have produced agenda-setting research on climate change. Together with colleagues at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and the UK Met Office, the climate expertise of the University and its partners will greatly benefit and broaden the Secretariat’s work.
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Student engagement: Up to 15 placement opportunities will be offered to students to enhance the work of the Secretariat, helping to create the next generation of climate action leaders both on campus and off campus.
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Membership growth: The University of Reading aims to expand the membership of the IUCA to 60 members, focusing on recruiting institutions in South America, Africa, Asia and the MENA region.
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Annual action day: The University of Reading will improve knowledge exchange between sustainability teams across member institutions. This includes establishing an annual IUCA members' action day that can be organised by future hosts.
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Global conference attendance: Through hosting the IUCA Secretariat, the University of Reading will strengthen engagement with international university agencies and establish IUCA attendance at key global conferences.
A IUCA Secretariat Operations Director will be responsible for the development and execution of IUCA’s strategic plan and programme of work.
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