One of Australia's leading climate scientists, Dr John Church, has called for a major shake-up of management and the return of a 'science culture' at Australia's leading science and research agency, the CSIRO.

"We're lacking in the senior leadership in CSIRO … [they're] no longer world-leading scientists," Dr Church told RN's Science Show.

"I think we need to get back to the stage where we have world-leading scientists as the CEO of CSIRO and the chiefs of divisions, etc … that's required to really address the important issues and bring a science culture back to the organisation."

Last year, the internationally renowned expert in sea level rise was axed from his position as a project leader in CSIRO's Oceans and Atmosphere Division as the organisation wound back climate research.

He is now at the Climate Change Research Centre of UNSW and continues his work at the global level for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Dr Church said his trust in CSIRO had been rapidly destroyed during his last years at the organisation as it became more "risk averse" on issues like climate change.

"I have over the years become increasingly frustrated with governments' lack of action on climate change issues," he said.

"I was a very loyal CSIRO person for many years. Me and many of my colleagues would have done anything for the organisation.

"That trust was being rapidly destroyed by these actions."

Call for change in leadership

Dr Church said the CSIRO board "got it wrong" last year when it reappointed the head of the organisation, Dr Larry Marshall, for another four years.

"I don't think they should have reappointed him and at some point [the board] will have to appoint somebody different," he said.

"I don't know what will happen at the end of his current term, but I would repeat we need somebody of scientific excellence [leading CSIRO and] I'm afraid Larry doesn't have any of those credentials."

The head of the CSIRO, Dr Larry Marshall

But the CSIRO said it supported Dr Marshall's reappointment and the direction of the organisation.

"CSIRO is currently ranked in the top 1 per cent of institutions worldwide in 14 of 22 research fields," it said in a written statement.

It said its executive, management leaders and senior scientists "come from a background of science excellence combined with other attributes to ensure CSIRO does, and will continue, to deliver excellent science and the application of that science".

"With that in mind, CSIRO and other research institutions are more than science papers and citation rates. To pass judgement based solely on those would be simplistic, misleading and wrong."

Dr Church said there was still concern and disappointment among climate researchers at CSIRO following last year's cuts to the organisation.

"I guess people have sort of accepted this is the way things are now, but they are not happy about it. The morale is still not good," he said.

While Dr Church said "a considerable number" of staff had been saved from the 2016 cuts, he estimated the climate research capability of CSIRO was now half of what it was at its peak several years ago.

Urgency needed on climate change

A plane flies over the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream in March 2010. ( Jim Yungel/NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, file photo )

Dr Church, who co-authored chapters on sea level rise for the IPCC in 2007 and 2013, said there was an urgency for politicians and decision makers to understand the challenge of climate change.

"The commitments … we're locking in — in terms of future climate change, both for sea level but also for temperatures and impacts on society — you can see these impacts accelerating, but we're not making a lot of headway on real mitigation efforts," Dr Church said.

He said the threshold for locking in long-term global sea-level rise would be crossed if carbon emissions continue unabated into the 22nd century.

"If we cross the threshold, that will lead to an ongoing and essentially complete melting of the Greenland ice sheets and sea level rise … in the order of seven metres," Dr Church said.

In addition, there will be significant contributions from Antarctica plus smaller country contributions from melting of glaciers and ocean thermal expansion.

"We won't get to tens of metres of sea level rise in 500 years, but we'll be on that path of very substantial sea level rises if we don't start mitigating emissions as urgently as we possibly can."

Hear the full interview with Dr John Church today at midday on The Science Show on RN.