RD2 News
Buildings can become a global CO2 sink if made out of wood instead of cement and steel
A material revolution replacing cement and steel in urban construction by wood can have double benefits for climate stabilization, a new study shows. First, it can avoid greenhouse gas emissions from cement and steel production. Second, it can turn buildings into a carbon sink as they store the CO2 taken up from the air by trees that are harvested and used as engineered timber. However while the required amount of timber harvest is available in theory, such an upscaling would clearly need most careful, sustainable forest management and governance, the international team of authors stresses.
Climate change, food and agriculture: PIK expertise at International Green Week in Berlin
20/01/2020 - Hundreds of thousands of people are currently exploring the International Green Week in Berlin, a leading global trade fair for agriculture and food with featuring more than 1800 exhibitors from 72 countries. According to the organizers, the International Green Week 2020 is focusing on climate change like never before, with numerous exhibitions and events. This year's trend topics include sustainability, resource conservation and environmentally friendly production processes. Experts from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) will also be present at events at the Green Week from 17-26 January.
RD2 involvement and successes in Geo.X
09/01/2020 - The end of 2019 marked a very successful involvement of RD2 in the Geo.X network. Dr. Roopam Shukla was accepted to the Geo.X Young Academy and PhD student Gina Maskell started at PIK in November 2019 under Geo.X funding. Congratulations to both colleagues for this accomplishment!
Congratulations Dr. Weng!
10/12/2019 - Wei Weng successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled "Aerial river management for future water in the context of land use change in Amazonia" at the Humboldt University of Berlin.
Launch of Ghana study at COP25 in Madrid
11/12/2019 - Yesterday PIK researchers from the working group Adaptation in Agricultural Systems launched a newly published climate risk analysis for Ghana’s agricultural sector at the COP25 in Madrid. During a UNFCCC side-event organised by PIK together with the African Centre of Meteorological Application for Development (ACMAD), Dr. Christoph Gornott presented key insights from the study.
COP25: PIK experts in Madrid
02.12.2019 - "Time for Action": About 25,000 delegates from all over the world are expected to attend the UN Climate Conference COP25 from December 2-13 in Madrid, Spain. "We stand at a critical juncture in our collective efforts to limit dangerous global heating", UN General Secretary António Guterres said at the Opening Ceremony of COP25 in the Spanish Capital. "Millions throughout the world – especially young people – are calling on leaders from all sectors to do more, much more, to address the climate emergency we face. They know we need to get on the right path today, not tomorrow. That means important decisions must be made now," he stressed in his remarks.
Kick-Off 2050CliMobCity and press release
06/12/2019 - On 30 September and 1 October, the Interreg project 2050 CliMobCity took off to a successful start with a kick-off meeting - including instructive seminars and discussions about future proof mobility - organised by the project lead partner Delft University of Technology
PIK side-event at the Global Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Humanitarian Action 2019
12-14/11/2019 - Scientists of the RD2 Working Group 'Adaptation in Agricultural Systems' organised a side session on "Early warnings of food insecurity to allow more time for action: what is already possible?"
Lancet Countdown: Forschungsbericht zu Klimawandel und Gesundheit
14.11.2019 - Bis zum Ende dieses Jahrhunderts sind jährlich bis zu fünf zusätzliche Hitzewellen in Norddeutschland und bis zu 30 in Süddeutschland zu erwarten, wenn wir mit dem Ausstoß von Treibhausgasen so weitermachen wie bisher. Damit einhergehender Hitzestress und hohe bodennahe Ozonkonzentrationen können schwerwiegende Folgen für die menschliche Gesundheit haben. Dazu zählen unter anderem Hitzschlag, Herzinfarkt und akutes Nierenversagen aufgrund von Flüssigkeitsmangel. Am stärksten gefährdet sind ältere Menschen, Säuglinge, Patienten mit chronischen Erkrankungen sowie Personen, die schwere körperliche Arbeit im Freien verrichten, etwa Bauarbeiter.
Successful collaboration between PIK and Munich Re on crop insurance
01/09/2019 - Crop insurance is considered as a means to escape the poverty trap when low harvests do not delay necessary investments as the loss of revenue is covered by the insurance. The successful acquisition of funding is a result of the work conducted in the "AgRATI India" project funded by the EIT Climate-KIC (a body of the European Union).
Four new AXIS-projects at RD2
23/10/2019 - Four new AXIS-projects with RD2-lead or participation started this autumn: MECCA, MAPPY, CROSSDRO and BioClimapAth.
CASCADES Project Kick-Off
11/10/2019 - The Kick-Off meeting of CASCADES was hosted at PIK at the end of September 2019. The EU-Project on "CAScading Climate risks: towards ADaptive and resilient European Societies" is coordinated by Dr. Ilona M. Otto and Dr. Christopher Reyer.
PeaceLAB-Blog zum Klimaschutz und Krisenprävention
03/09/2019 - Im 'PeaceLAB Blog' welches vom Global Public Policy Institute und dem Auswärtigen Amt betrieben wird, erklären Stefanie Wesch, Lisa Murken und Kira Vinke: 'Warum Klimaschutz Krisenprävention ist: Das Beispiel Burkina Faso'.
Leibniz PhD General Assembly gathers at PIK
26/09/2019 - PhD students from all disciplines of the Leibniz Association are gathering this week in Potsdam to discuss their research, exchange ideas and network. Hosted by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the two day Leibniz PhD Network General Assembly brings together doctoral researchers for an elaborate programme including talks, discussions and the election of spokespersons. The students were welcomed by Ingo Bräuer, head of PIK's science coordination and transfer, at PIK on Telegrafenberg Science Campus.
Klimanotstand in Potsdam: RD2-Wissenschaftler in der Öffentlichkeit
19/09/2019 - Dr. habil. Fritz Reusswig, Soziologe und RD2-Wissenschaftler in der Urban Transformations-Arbeitsgruppe, hat mehrere Interviews zum Klimanotstand in Potsdam gegeben.
From avocados to apples: Producing food closer to cities could help reduce climate emissions
29.08.2019 - Millions of tons of groceries from agriculture are transported to our cities all around the globe every day to feed its dwellers. Produced anywhere in the world and transported as cargo on roads, rail or water from the farm gate into cities, this food transport is linked to a huge amount of CO2 emissions. Exploring options to reduce this “food-print”, a team of city researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) now provides the first global analysis of the potential of local food production to feed hungry cities in present and future. As it turns out, a large number of urban residents in many parts of the world could be nourished by local agriculture. However, climate change might take that option off the table, if greenhouse gas emissions are not rapidly reduced.
Looking beyond the farm gate: New IPCC Special Report on Land Use and Climate Change
08/08/2019 – Almost three quarters of habitable land on earth are under human use – resulting in substantial impacts on our climate, a new report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows. Today, almost a quarter of human-made greenhouse gas emissions arise from agriculture, forestry and other land use. The latest IPCC Special Report investigates the current situation, possible future scenarios and potential solutions on how we can use land to feed ourselves, fuel economic growth and limit climate change risks. Two Potsdam scientists figure as lead authors of the chapter on food security and on the relations between land and climate.
Drought. Water stress. Extreme weather events. How does climate change impact agriculture in Europe?
05/08/2019 - This summer news on extreme weather events is ubiquitous. Central Europe experienced unprecedented dry spells and heat waves leading to stress for humans and also agricultural crops. This raises the following question: What are the climate change impacts on crop production in Europe?
Artikel über Niger mit RD2-Wissenschaftler Stefanie Wesch und Stefan Liersch
22/06/2019 - Der Artikel 'Arm und vergessen' erschienen im Schwäbisches Tagblatt macht auf die Situation in Niger aufmerksam. Ein Land, das schon genug Probleme hat wird nun von der Klimawandel besonders schwer getroffen.
Prof. Lotze-Campen beim Frühstücksfernsehen
21/06/2019 - RD2 Forschungsabteilungsleiter Hermann Lotze-Campen war heute früh beim Sat1 Frühstücksfernsehen eingeladen um über die uns bevorstehende Hitze und den Zusammenhang mit dem Klimawandel zu reden
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