Resilient and stable Earth system is critical for human health - Scientists call for unified approach
16.07.2025 - Leading scientists from the Planetary Boundaries and Planetary Health communities have proposed a common scientific framework to better understand how Earth System changes like climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution threaten the foundations of human health. Their joint perspective calls for stronger integration of knowledge across disciplines and scales. The comment, now published in the renowned medical journal The Lancet, was initiated by Johan Rockström and Oskar Masztalerz from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research together with Sam Myers, Director of the Planetary Health Alliance and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health.
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How the world can develop without ruining itself
14.05.2025 – A groundbreaking scenario study in the top journal Nature is now looking far beyond today, presenting projections of the climate and environment up to the end of the century for different policy pathways. The reference point is the “planetary boundaries”, which define the safe operating space for humanity. According to the study, sustainability will remain a critical issue for decades to come, but ambitious measures can achieve a situation at least similar to 2015 by 2050, and significantly improve it by 2100. The study was co-authored by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).
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Amplified global heating risk due to climate and carbon cycle feedbacks
24.03.2025 - Global heating over this millennium could exceed previous estimates due to carbon cycle feedback loops. This is the conclusion of a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The analysis shows that achieving the Paris Agreement’s aim of limiting global warming to well below 2°C is only feasible under very low emission scenarios, and if climate sensitivity is lower than current best estimates. The paper is the first to make long-term projections over the next 1,000 years while accounting for currently established carbon cycle feedbacks, including methane.
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Edenhofer and Rockström outline pathway to more global climate finance in Nature
13.03.2025 – In their own interest, “coalitions of the willing” of industrialised countries should now step up climate finance for developing countries. The aim: to make their climate commitments, which must be updated in 2025 according to the Paris Agreement, as ambitious as possible. Proven CO₂ reductions in the Global South should be rewarded with massive public grants – which would be highly profitable for donor countries due to avoided climate damage. This is the message of an article published today in the top journal Nature, co-authored by Ottmar Edenhofer and Johan Rockström, scientific directors of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).
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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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"Serious concerns about the future of international climate cooperation": PIK statement on Trump inauguration
20.01.2025 - Today, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States. Statement by Ottmar Edenhofer and Johan Rockström, Directors of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, regarding Donald Trump's inauguration.
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Climate hazards could reduce corporate earnings by up to 7 percent annually by 2035
11.12.2024 - Businesses that fail to adapt to climate risks like extreme heat could lose up to 7 percent of annual earnings by 2035, an impact comparable to nearly half of the economic losses caused by COVID-19. This is shown in a new report by the World Economic Forum, with contribution by PIK director Johan Rockström. The report aims to build a bridge between the latest scientific findings on the Earth system and their consequences for the economy.
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The time has come: PIK’s strategic expansion will take place at the turn of the year
09.12.2024 – Bundling climate expertise from the natural sciences to policy advice: at the beginning of 2025, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) will implement its long-planned strategic expansion through additional institutional funding. As announced in October 2023, the Berlin-based climate research institute MCC (Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change) will be integrated into PIK. In addition, expertise in previously under-researched and future-oriented topics will be specifically strengthened. The Joint Science Conference of the German federal and state governments has now formally approved the necessary increase in long-term basic state funding.
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Transforming land management within planetary boundaries key to addressing global land use crisis
02.12.2024 - Land degradation undermines biodiversity, accelerates climate impacts, and endangers agriculture, food security, and livelihoods all over the world. These are the findings of a new scientific report by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in collaboration with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), released on the occasion of UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh. Using the planetary boundaries framework, the report examines the latest scientific research on global land degradation, shedding light on the risks and opportunities of various land-use decisions.
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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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PIK expertise at COP29 in Azerbaijan
11.11.2024 - The 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) takes place from 11 to 22 November 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The conference brings together delegates from nearly 200 countries, including leading scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), to discuss the latest scientific findings and policy measures to mitigate the climate crisis.
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Pioneering Planetary Boundaries science as key to mitigating rising planetary risks
08.11.2024 - The Planetary Boundaries framework is a pivotal tool for tackling the climate crisis and safeguarding humanity’s future on Earth. For the first time, the full story of the Planetary Boundaries is now being told from its beginning: In a review, researchers highlight the growing influence of the PB framework across disciplines and its impact on society and policy. The article offers a unique overview of how the framework has been adopted across sectors. It also underscores how, 15 years after its initial proposal, PB science has become widely recognised as crucial for advancing the global sustainability agenda in an era of rising planetary risks.
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10 New Insights in Climate Science 2024: Heat surges risk ecosystem collapse
28.10.2024 – A new report reveals the profound consequences of rising temperatures on both the environment and human health. The ‘10 New Insights In Climate Science’ highlight how surging global temperatures are not only threatening the stability of oceans and pushing the Amazon rainforest towards collapse, but also endangering maternal and reproductive health for future generations. The annual synthesis report has been launched by a consortium of more than 80 global experts from the social and natural sciences, including researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).
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New report: Global water crisis threatens more than half of world food production
17.10.2024 - The global water cycle is increasingly out of balance – with consequences for the world economy and humanity. This is the core message of a report by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water (GCEW), including Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The global water crisis could endanger more than half of global food production by 2050, the authors warn. This could result in a global median gross domestic product (GDP) decline of about eight percent. Lower-income countries may even face a decline in GDP of ten to fifteen percent. The Commission argues in favour of a new economics of water, which must redefine the way we value water. It also suggests five mission areas to counteract the existing water crisis.
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Johan Rockström receives Virchow Prize 2024
14.10.2024 - Johan Rockström, Scientific Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), was awarded the Virchow Prize 2024 at a ceremony in Berlin on October 12 2024. He was honoured for his comprehensive approach to safeguarding both human and planetary health as well as for the introduction of the concept of planetary boundaries. The resilience researcher shares the prize with Lucy Gilson, head of the Health Policy and Systems Division at Cape Town University and Professor of Health Policy and Systems at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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25 of 35 planetary vital signs at record extremes: 2024 State of the Climate Report
08.10.2024 - More frequent and intense extreme weather events, fossil fuel emissions at an all-time high: a new report led by an international team of scientists, including Johan Rockström and Stefan Rahmstorf of Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research, states that climatic conditions have further worsened. The report analyzes the latest trends in a wide array of planetary vital signs. It also reviews recent climate-related disasters, spotlights climate-related topics, and discusses needed policy interventions.
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Earth exceeds safe limits: First Planetary Health Check issues red alert
24.09.2024 - The Planetary Boundaries Science (PBScience), a new initiative led by PIK director Johan Rockström and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), supported by the Planetary Guardians and other partners, has launched the Planetary Health Check (PHC), a first-of-its-kind scientific report and tool for the health of the Earth’s vital organs that serve as humanity’s life support system. The PHC combines pioneering Earth science, Earth observation data and multi-disciplinary thinking to quantify the planet’s health and inform solutions to reverse the impact of human activity on the planet.
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Achieving prosperity for planet and people requires fair resource sharing and addressing inequality: New Earth Commission study
12.09.2024 - It remains possible for all humans to escape poverty and be safe from harm caused by Earth system change, but urgent global transformations are needed, shows new research co-authored by Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The concept of the ‘Safe and Just Space’— the zone where humans can thrive without destabilizing the planet— is shrinking rapidly. The poorest are currently the most vulnerable, yet everyone is increasingly at risk, according to the study published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
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Tipping risks from overshooting 1.5 °C can be minimised if warming is swiftly reversed
01.08.2024 - Current climate policies imply a high risk for tipping of critical Earth system elements, even if temperatures return to below 1.5 °C of global warming after a period of overshoot. A new study published in Nature Communications indicates that this risk can be minimised if the warming is swiftly reversed. That is why reducing emissions in the current decade is crucial for the stability of the Earth systems functions, researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and other institutes write. They analysed the tipping risks for four interconnected core climate tipping elements: the Greenland Ice Sheet, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and the Amazon Rainforest.
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“A shining example of dedicated leadership within global health”: Johan Rockström receives Virchow Prize 2024
15.07.2024 – Johan Rockström receives the Virchow Prize 2024. The scientific Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) receives the reward for his comprehensive approach to safeguarding both human and planetary health as well as for the introduction of the concept of planetary boundaries. The Virchow Prize recognises outstanding lifetime achievements in the field of global health that align and uphold the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
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Johan Rockström awarded Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement in Potsdam
21.05.2024 - PIK director Johan Rockström was awarded the 2024 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement in a festive ceremony held in Potsdam. Rockström received the world’s most prestigious environmental prize for his advancement of the Planetary Boundaries science and its importance and reach across the world. The USD $250,000 Prize recognises global leaders in environment and sustainability.
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PIK research among most cited papers in policy documents worldwide
19.04.2024 - Three research papers conducted by PIK director Johan Rockström are among the top ten most cited papers in policy documents. This is according to an analysis of data provided to the journal Nature.
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Transforming energy, land use, production and consumption to safeguard Global Commons
22.03.2024 - Transforming energy, land use, production and consumption is key to safeguard Global Commons and to keep them within the safe space of the planetary boundaries. This is the result of the new Global Commons Stewardship report with contribution of researchers from the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research (PIK) and PIK Director Johan Rockström. It delivers an integrated assessment of the effects of those transformations and how they interact with each other.
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Earth’s freshwater cycle out of stable state
04.03.2024 - Human activity has pushed variation in the planet’s freshwater cycle well outside of its pre-industrial range. An international research team, including scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and PIK Director Johan Rockström, found that the planetary boundary for freshwater was surpassed by the mid-twentieth century.
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“An invaluable contribution to our planet’s welfare”: Johan Rockström awarded Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement
29.02.2024 - Johan Rockström will be awarded with the 2024 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, a prestigious prize for scientific achievements often regarded as the ’Nobel Prize for Environment’. The scientific Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research PIK receives the honor for his pioneering work on the Planetary Boundaries framework, the science defining the safe operating space for humanity on Earth, which provides the boundaries for world development and a basis for human justice.
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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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Transforming food systems could create multi-trillion dollars of economic benefits every year
29.01.2024 - Transforming food systems around the world would lead to socio-economic benefits summing up to 5 to 10 trillion USD a year, shows a new global policy report produced by leading economists and scientists of the Food System Economics Commission (FSEC). The most ambitious and comprehensive study of food system economics so far underlines that food systems are currently destroying more value than they create and that an overhaul of food system policies is urgently needed. On the other hand, the cost of transformation would be much lower than the potential benefits, offering a better life to hundreds of millions of people.
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Covid-19, climate change, armed conflicts: world’s crises can lead to interconnected polycrisis
17.01.2024 – The world is currently experiencing a worsening polycrisis, caused by an entanglement and nonlinear amplification of many of the world’s crises, like the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and armed conflicts such as Russia’s war on Ukraine. This is the result of a new paper authored by an international team of scientists, including PIK Director Johan Rockström. The researchers establish a substantive definition for a polycrisis and deliver a theoretical framework to better understand and address the entangled driving mechanisms behind contemporary global crises.
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4 of the 10 climate science papers most referred to in news and social media authored by PIK researchers
10.01.2024 - 4 of the top 10 peer-reviewed climate science papers most referred to in news and social media in 2023 featured authors from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), a ranking by the website Carbon Brief based on Altmetric scores reveils. Altmetric tracks how often research papers from academic journals are mentioned in online news media, blogs or on social media platforms. The metric is an indicator for public perception of scientific publications.
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Real progress, yet transition away from fossil fuels too vague: PIK Assessment on COP28 closing
13.12.2023 - After two weeks of negotiations, the UN climate summit COP28 in Dubai closed. More than 70.000 people from all over the world took part in the conference focused on the first Global Stocktake of climate plans and further steps for international climate action from 30 November to 13 December. Among them were PIK Directors Ottmar Edenhofer and Johan Rockström.
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