Surging heat-related deaths, alarming sea level rises and major impacts to Australia's diverse ecosystems are among the warnings from the landmark National Climate Risk Assessment released this week.

But for those that have been studying climate science for decades the report's key findings didn't come as a surprise.

• Guest: Bill Hare, climate scientist and the the Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report in 2007 
• Producers: Grace Stranger & Rob Kelly