Ministers Manja Schüle and Martina Klement at the Potsdam Institute

The ministers were welcomed by the three PIK Directors Bettina Hörstrup, Ottmar Edenhofer and Johan Rockström. To provide a basis for discussion and exchange, the session began with a presentation on the institute, highlighting its globally unique integration of natural and social science research and its strong involvement in international assessment reports. A key message of the presentation was that climate protection is essential for securing long-term prosperity in Europe and Germany. In addition, PIK department head Hermann Lotze-Campen, who is also Chair of the State of Brandenburg’s Scientific Climate Advisory Board, reported on research specifically tailored to the region – for example, on improved water storage and climate-resilient farming practices.

The visit to PIK was part of a “research tour focusing on climate, hydrogen and energy research”, as described by the ministry for economic affairs in an announcement. During an in-depth tour of the Albert Einstein Science Park on Potsdam’s Telegrafenberg, Ministers Schüle and Klement also learnt about the work of the research institutes at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences and the Alfred Wegener Institute – Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), as well as the Cottbus-based Fraunhofer Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geotechnologies IEG.