In 1986 McGill formed Canada's first university Climate Research Group in cooperation with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Atmospheric Environment Service. Four years later, in response to a broadening of both the scope of research activities and membership, the group changed its name to the Centre for Climate and Global Change Research (C2GCR). A further broadening of the scope of the Centre subsequently led to the creation of the Global Envirronmental and Climate Change Centre (GEC3), which now includes scientists not only from McGill but also from five other universities.