Latest News — Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

Nobel Laureates hand over recommendations to UN High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability

05/18/2011 - The Stockholm Memorandum concludes that the planet has entered a new geological age, the Anthropocene. It recommends a suite of urgent and far-reaching actions for decision makers and societies to become active stewards of the planet for future generations. (This press release has been drafted by the Swedish organizers of the symposium - the PIK sent out it's own press release only for German language media.)

UN High-level Panel joins Memorandum signing ceremony

05/16/2011 - President Tarja Halonen, Gro Harlem Brundtland and Kevin Rudd among members of the UN High-level Panel on Global Sustainability to participate at the presentation of the results from the Nobel Laureate Symposium on 18 May. (This press release has been drafted by the organizers in Stockholm - the PIK sent out it's own press release only for German language media.)

PIK welcomes Mexico, Ethiopia and Norway

05/13/2011 - High-ranking international guests visited the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research this week. As different as the countries where they come from may be, they agree in their interest in the work of the institute with its transdisciplinary approach and focus on climate research that makes it one of the world´s leading institutions.

Detlef Sprinz appointed professor at Potsdam University

05/13/2011 - Detlef Sprinz, senior scientist with the research domain “Transdisciplinary Concepts and Methods” of PIK, has been appointed to be professor at Potsdam University recently.

Potential of renewable energy: PIK-chief economist presents IPCC-report

05/12/2011 – Close to 80 percent of the world’s energy supply could be met by renewables by 2050, if backed by public policies. The share of renewable energy in the future global energy mix differs substantially among scientific scenarios. But a comprehensive review led by Ottmar Edenhofer, co-chair of the working group on mitigation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – also being the chief economist of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research – outlines the large potential of renewable energy sources to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases and anthropogenic climate change.

Vatican Science Panel Calls Attention to the Threat of Glacial Melt

05/09/2011 - A panel of some of the world's leading climate and glacier scientists co-chaired by a Scripps Institution of Oceanography researcher issued a report today commissioned by the Vatican's Pontifical Academy of Sciences citing the moral imperative before society to properly address climate change. (This press release has been drafted by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego - the PIK sent out it's own press release only for German language media.)

Emissions from consumption may offset reported carbon emission reductions in industrialized countries

04/26/2011 - An increasing share of global emissions is from the production of internationally traded goods and services, according to a new study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Due to current reporting practices, this has allowed some countries to increase their carbon footprints while reporting stabilized emissions. (This press release has been drafted by the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo - the PIK sent out it's own press release only for German language media.)

Sustainable change needs a new social contract

04/07/2011 - To achieve the transition to an “age of efficiency and renewables”, a scientific advisory council calls for nothing less but a reconstruction of civil society. This can only be achieved through a new kind of interaction between governments and citizens, with citizens being more involved in political decisions. As stated today by the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) during the presentation of its flagship report “World in Transition – A Social Contract for Sustainability”, massive investments in energy transformation, changes in consumption habits and the imposition of global fees on greenhouse gas emissions will be necessary in order to meet the challenge.

„Pioneering contributions to the development of Earth system models“: EGU awards

04/07/2011 - For his role in helping to understand mechanisms of glacial climate change, Andrey Ganopolski of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) has been honoured by the European Geosciences Union (EGU). He was awarded the Milutin Milankovic Medal in Vienna this week “for his pioneering contributions to the development of Earth system models of intermediate complexity”, the EGU stated. These models – systems of mathematical equations representing processes in the atmosphere, oceans and other planetary compartments – show high computational efficiency. They allow scientists to perform more and longer projections, in contrast to state-of-the-art Earth system models. For the first time, Ganopolski and his collaborators made it possible to realistically simulate and explain some important aspects of transitions between glacial and interglacial periods – providing important insights which also help to assess anthropogenic global warming.

Road traffic has more to contribute to climate protection

03/30/2011 - Cars, trucks, ships and aircraft are the main driver of global oil consumption. In the EU the transport sector is the only economic sector whose greenhouse gas emissions are constantly increasing, especially with respect to road transportation. Using a well balanced mix of instruments, though, the transport sector’s contribution to climate change could be reduced, according to economic researchers of the Technical University of Berlin (TU) and of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). They especially highlight two measures: firstly, for the admission of new cars their energy consumption instead of their CO2 emissions should be the criterion for setting efficiency standards. Secondly road traffic could be incorporated into the European emissions trading scheme. (Joint press release by TU Berlin and PIK)