Prestigious honour for Pep Canadell
Dr Pep Canadell from Environment has been named as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science for his leading contribution to climate science.
As a child growing up in Spain, Pep showed a strong interest in learning about the wonders of nature.
“I was an avid viewer of documentaries, including Jacques Cousteau discovering the fascinating underwater world, and Felix Rodriguez de la Fuente, the Spanish version of David Attenborough, but with even more passion if that is possible!,” said Pep.
“During the summer breaks, I would spend my time in a small fishing village near the French border, where I gathered what was probably the largest seaweed collection in the region. I also spent my time on a science project building animal skeletons. It was then I knew my interest in biology and environmental science was something real.”
Science with a sense of purpose
Pep’s interest continued when learning about the millions of tonnes of untreated urban wastewater reaching the Mediterranean Sea every year, including the dumping of industrial chemicals and heavy metals, and oil leaks from ship transits.
“My science focus shifted from just curiosity to wanting to understand and contribute to solving environmental problems,” said Pep.
“It was a sense of purpose and relevance that attracted me to pursue a scientific career.”
Pathway to climate science success
Pep began studying fire ecology and supporting post-fire regeneration. It was when studying in California in 1991 that he first learned about climate change and its impacts on terrestrial ecosystems.
He found it to be such an interesting topic that he accepted a postdoctoral position to study the impacts of elevated carbon dioxide (CO₂) on plant and ecosystem functioning.
Pep then moved to Canberra in 1998 to join CSIRO, taking up the role of Executive Director for the Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (GCTE) core project of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program, before becoming the Executive Director for the Global Carbon Project in the early 2000s, a role he still holds.
Pep is also Chief Research Scientist in our Environment Research Unit, and the Lead Investigator in the National Environmental Science Program Climate Systems Hub.
A leader in understanding greenhouse gas emissions
Pep has spent over four decades creating, working, nurturing, and supporting large interdisciplinary teams of scientists to develop global and regional greenhouse gas budgets and trends analyses to track the human perturbation on the climate system.
“These budgets have become the global benchmark for all global climate change assessments, and I feel privileged to have played a role in these efforts,” expressed Pep.
“With natural CO₂ sinks removing over 50 per cent of human carbon emissions, gaining deeper insight into the dynamics of the natural CO₂ sinks is just as critical for climate change projections as understanding human actions.
“This work is very important to create comprehensive greenhouse gas emission accounts to inform global pathways towards climate stabilisation.”
World class recognition for leading Australian science
Pep has been recognised as a 2025 Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science for his significant contribution as a world authority on global biogeochemistry, focusing on the impact of human activities on the carbon cycle and global greenhouse gas budgets.
During the Black Summer Fires, Pep worked with a committed team to produce what has become the most exhaustive analysis of forest fires in Australia over the past 90 years. It contains multiple lines of independent evidence showing the fingerprints of human-induced climate change in the observed increase of burned area and frequency of forest fires.
Pep says working at CSIRO has helped shape him into a more well-rounded scientist.
“I am proud that we have been able to develop comprehensive carbon budgets for Australia thanks to a large team of collaborators from CSIRO, universities, and overseas colleagues from the Global Carbon Project,” said Pep.
“It has given me the opportunity to contribute to important scientific discussions, industry and business fora, and briefings to ministers to inform change.
“I am looking forward to expanding my work and maximising opportunities by integrating satellite data, surface observations, and biospheric modelling to track changes towards net-zero.
“This will improve our understanding of the carbon cycle, climate systems and how they will change in the future.”