Seventh Assessment Report of the IPCC has nine Lead Authors from the Potsdam Institute
21.08.2025 – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has now appointed 664 experts from 111 countries to produce the “Seventh Assessment Report” on the state of climate science, which is highly relevant for policy advice. Amongst them are nine Lead Authors from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The new Assessment Report will be published in 2028 and 2029. It will comprise several thousand pages and be divided into three volumes prepared by scientific Working Groups, plus a synthesis report.
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Tropical bird populations reduced by a third since 1980, compared to a world without climate change
11.08.2025 – Bird populations in the tropics have dropped by roughly a third (25-38 percent) since 1980 due to intensifying heat extremes, compared to a world without climate change, with some species having declined in abundance by over 50 percent, according to new study published today in Nature Ecology and Evolution with contributions from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the University of Queensland and Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC).
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Nature study on economic damages from climate change revised
06. 08. 2025 - In response to feedback from other scientists, the authors of the paper “The economic commitment of climate change” at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) have revised their analysis and are making it open access for the wider scientific community to engage with. PIK welcomes the critical scrutiny published as a “Matters Arising” in Nature as an important part of the scientific debate, and is committed to continuing to uphold the highest standards of research integrity and transparency.
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PIK develops a new global, high resolution data set of atmospheric rivers
04.08.2025– Researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) have developed a new data set of the Earth’s atmospheric rivers – PIK Atmospheric River Trajectories (PIKART) – improving on the robustness and scope of existing global catalogues. Published today in the journal JGR: Atmospheres, the data set details atmospheric river activity between 1940-2023 at a high resolution: to half a degree and at six-hour intervals.
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PIK researcher Linus Mattauch wins European environmental economics award
18.06.2025 – A prestigious award has been presented to Linus Mattauch, head of the Societal Transition and Well-being research group at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE) today honoured him with the “European Award for Researchers in Environmental Economics under the Age of Forty”. The association emphasised the policy relevance of his research and the high number of publications.
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Encouraging findings on public acceptance of global climate policy
05.06.2025 – Even though the topic seems to have slipped down the political agenda, comprehensive measures to combat global heating enjoy widespread public support around the world. A study co-authored by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the renowned journal Nature Human Behaviour now takes a scientific look at the acceptance of global climate policies. The research team draws on surveys that it initiated around the globe specifically for this purpose. It shows that there is strong and genuine support for international carbon pricing, per capita reimbursement of revenues, and thus redistribution to poorer countries.
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The atmospheric memory that feeds billions of people: Newly discovered mechanism for monsoon rainfall
07.05.2025 - Across the globe, monsoon rainfall switches on in spring and off in autumn. Until now, this seasonal pattern was primarily understood as an immediate response to changes in solar radiation. A new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), published in the scientific journal PNAS, shows for the first time that the atmosphere can store moisture over extended periods, creating a physical memory effect. It allows monsoon systems to flip between two stable states. Disrupting this delicate balance, would have severe consequences for billions of people in India, Indonesia, Brazil and China.
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PIK Research Days 2025: Interdisciplinary climate research under one roof
13.03.2025 - From the stability of the Atlantic overturning circulation and new findings on climate solutions to the social dynamics of populism and climate policy - the PIK Research Days 2025 on March 11 and 12 offered a comprehensive insight into the latest research findings of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). In addition to intensive discussions and interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, the focus was also on diversity, freedom and inclusion: values that characterize PIK's scientific approach.
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Leonie Wenz: Professor of Environmental Economics at the TU Berlin
04.03.2025- Leonie Wenz has been appointed Professor of Environmental Economics at Technische Universität (TU) Berlin with effect from 1 March 2025. The new position is a joint appointment with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), where the scientist is deputy head of the research department ‘Complexity Science’ and head of the Lab ‘Social Transition and Well-being’.
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PIK scientist Annika Stechemesser receives the Potsdam Young Scientist Prize
02.12.2024 – The Potsdam Young Scientist Prize has been awarded this year to Annika Stechemesser for her outstanding research in the field of climate physics. In her interdisciplinary dissertation, awarded summa cum laude, she explored the impacts of climate change on human behaviour and its subsequent effects on the economy, communication, social cohesion, and mobility. Her work provides important insights into adaptation to climate change and the social and economic inequalities exacerbated by global warming.
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Maximilian Kotz receives Leibniz Dissertation award for “The economic costs of climate change”
28.11.2024 – The 2024 Leibniz Dissertation Award has been granted to Maximilian Kotz for his outstanding research on the economic costs of climate change, completed at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). He examines the economic impact of human-made climate change, specifically rising temperatures, increased variability, and more frequent extreme weather events like heavy rainfall. He received the award in the Natural and Technical Sciences category at the annual Leibniz Association meeting.
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Global Recognition: PIK researchers again part of the top 1% of the world’s most cited scientists
20.11.2024 - For the seventh year in a row, scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) are represented in the top 1 percent of the “Highly Cited Researchers”. The prestigious ranking, released by Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science platform, is determined by the frequency with which scientists' papers are cited by other researchers — a measure of global scientific impact. The 2024 edition features ten PIK researchers from different research departments, including PIK Director Johan Rockström.
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Green growth: 30 percent of regions worldwide achieve economic growth while reducing carbon emissions
29.10.2024 - More and more regions around the globe combine economic growth with reducing carbon emissions, researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research found. Their new study highlights the vital role of national climate actions in decoupling economic growth from CO2 emissions. The analysis of data from 1,500 regions over the past 30 years showed that 30 percent have managed to lower their carbon emissions while continuing to thrive economically. While this accelerating trend marks significant progress towards achieving the Paris Climate Agreement, the authors caution that the current pace of decoupling is insufficient to meet the global climate target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
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Atmospheric teleconnections drive surge in summer heatwaves
27.09.2024 - Summer heatwaves are four times more likely in some areas in the Northern hemisphere due to atmospheric teleconnections, scientists have found. The study by an international research team, including the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), also reveals how long-distance linkages of weather events can account for nearly half of the interannual changes in heatwaves and accurately estimate heatwave trends in 80 percent of the land area in middle to high latitudes. As record-breaking heatwaves have a big impact on society and the economy worldwide, understanding these complex atmospheric dynamics is crucial for developing effective climate adaptation strategies.
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Global Warming's Economic Blow: Risks rise more rapidly for the rich
13.09.2024 - In a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), researchers analysed how erratic weather events, increasingly intensified by global warming, affect global production and consumption across different income groups.
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UN report: Accelerated sea-level rise poses significant risk for Pacific Islands
28.08.2024 – A new UN brief outlines the current scientific understanding of sea-level rise on coastal flooding, with particular attention to major coastal cities in G20 countries and the Pacific Small Island Developing States. The projections underline that climate change threatens the lives and livelihoods especially of coastal communities. The brief was scientifically supported by Anders Levermann, researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
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Leonie Wenz awarded Piers Sellers Prize 2024
25.06.2024 - The prestigious Piers Sellers Prize was awarded to Leonie Wenz. As one of two winners, the deputy head of Complexity Science at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) is being honoured for her world leading contribution to climate solutions, especially for her excellent research on the economic impacts of climate change.
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Up to 30 percent more time: Climate change makes it harder for women to collect water
21.06.2024 - By 2050, climate change could increase the amount of time women in households without running water spend collecting water by up to 30 percent on global average, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change. In regions of South America and Southeast Asia, the time spent collecting water could double due to higher temperatures. A team of scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) estimates the large welfare losses that could result from climate impacts and highlights how women are particularly vulnerable to changing future climate conditions. Worldwide, two billion people currently lack access to safe drinking water. The responsibility for collecting water typically falls on women and girls.
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From ocean currents to the energy transition: thousands visit PIK for Potsdam Science Day
04.05.2024 - Under the motto "Research. Discover. Join in.", the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), together with the other Telegrafenberg institutes, hosted this year's Potsdam Science Day. On the first Saturday in May 6,200 interested visitors came to find out about the work of researchers at PIK at information stands, lectures and hands-on experiments in the sunshine and spring-like temperatures.
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38 trillion dollars in damages each year: World economy already committed to income reduction of 19 % due to climate change
17.04.2024 - Even if CO2 emissions were to be drastically cut down starting today, the world economy is already committed to an income reduction of 19 % until 2050 due to climate change, a new study published in “Nature” finds. These damages are six times larger than the mitigation costs needed to limit global warming to two degrees. Based on empirical data from more than 1,600 regions worldwide over the past 40 years, scientists at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) assessed future impacts of changing climatic conditions on economic growth and their persistence.
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From Planetary Boundaries to Global Commons: “PIK Research Days” with latest science update
15.02.2024 – From planetary boundaries and tipping points to global commons and the economic implications of climate change, from methods like integrated assessment modeling or machine learning to the science-policy interface: The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research gathered for its traditional in-house conference, the “PIK Research Days”. The two-day event was packed with talks, panel discussions and elevator pitches about current and planned research.
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Highly Cited: PIK scientists among top 1% of the world's most cited researchers
11/15/2023 – For the sixth year in a row, numerous researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) are among the top 1 percent of the renowned “Highly Cited Researchers” worldwide. The influential ranking, published by Clarivate Analytics' science platform Web of Science, is based on the number of times scientists' papers are cited by other researchers – a very important indicator of scientific relevance. The 2023 edition includes eight PIK researchers from different research departments, also PIK Director Johan Rockström.
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Novel perspectives on cross-border cascading climate change impacts and systemic risks
10/27/2023 – Transitioning towards climate-adaptive and resilient societies – that was the overarching aim of the conference “Cross-border climate change impacts and systemic risks in Europe and beyond” at Potsdam-Institute of Climate Impact Research (PIK). For three days in mid-October, 150 scientists from all over the world came together across disciplines to better understand and respond to the emerging topic of cross-border climate impacts and risks.
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Timely reversal of global warming could prevent Greenland ice sheet tipping
10/18/2023 - The Greenland ice sheet is likely to be more resistant to global warming than previously thought, finds a new study published in the scientific journal Nature. An international team of scientists shows that even if critical temperature thresholds are temporarily crossed by up to 6.5 degrees Celsius until 2100, a possible tipping of the ice sheet and therefore drastic sea level rise over hundreds of thousands of years could be prevented. To achieve this, measures to reduce greenhouse gases would have to be taken as quickly as possible following the critical rise in temperature, so that the temperature can be stabilized at no more than 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels in the long term.
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Stuck to the subway: less privileged people have fewer possibilities to adapt their mobility behaviour to heat
10/10/2023 - Extreme heat amplifies social inequalities when it comes to subway usage and mobility in big cities, a new study shows. Analyzing the effect of temperature on people’s mobility behavior in New York City, researchers from the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research (PIK) find that especially in low-income areas there are little possibilities for subway users to adapt to and mitigate heat by reducing mobility. This could lead to additional heat stress and increase health risks.
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Climate extremes hit stressed economies even harder
08/30/2023 - Economies already under stress respond more strongly to weather events like heat waves, river floods and tropical cyclones, a new study shows. A global economic crisis as during the Covid-19 pandemic strongly amplifies the price increases private households experience from the impacts of weather extremes, a team of researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) finds. The price impacts tripled in China, doubled in the United States and increased by a third in the European Union.
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Past abrupt changes in North Atlantic Overturning have impacted the climate system across the globe
08/29/2023 - Abrupt climate changes have affected rainfall patterns worldwide in the past, especially in the tropical monsoon region, a new study shows. An international team of scientists used dripstones from globally distributed caves together with model simulations to analyse the global impacts of rapid Northern-Hemisphere temperature increases, the widely studied Dansgaard-Oeschger events, that repeatedly occurred during the last ice age. The comparison of stalagmite and model data shows in unprecedented detail how these abrupt changes and the associated modifications of the Atlantic overturning circulation, AMOC for short, have affected global atmospheric circulation.
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Six decades and more than 1600 regions worldwide: New database on economic development and climate change
07/03/2023 - A new Database Of Sub-national Economic Output (DOSE) for the first time provides sub-national economic data for six decades and more than 1600 regions worldwide matched with climate observations. Developed by experts of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) the database aims to o better understand the implications of global warming on regional economic development and the true costs of climate change.
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PIK expertise at "Leibniz in the Bundestag"
05/26/2023 - From hydrogen to the EU climate goals, from moorland protection to the animal welfare tax: researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) were represented across all research areas with numerous topics at "Leibniz in the Bundestag". With this political format, the Leibniz Association annually offers members of the German Bundestag one-on-one discussions with scientists.
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Climate change risk to price stability: Higher average temperatures increase inflation
05/24/2023 - Increased average temperatures could drive up annual food and headline inflation by up to 1.18 percentage points by 2035, a new ECB working paper with PIK expertise shows. This effect persists over 12 months in rich and poor countries alike, making climate change an important economic factor for price stability.
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