The Deutsche Klimakonsortium (German Climate Consortium, DKK), the umbrella organisation of German climate researchers, has issued a position paper on the perspectives for climate research from 2015 to 2025. The paper was formulated by 80 invited scientists and experts, among them also scientists from the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics. It represents a consensus of the leading climate and climate impact researchers. The paper determines three central topics that should be in the focus of science, society and politics over the next ten years. The German research can significantly contribute to these topics which are (1) the closure of gaps in understanding the climate system, (2) the dealing with climate risks and (3) the role of climate research in the democratic society with the goal to develop a better tailored policy counselling.
It is scientifically uncontroversial that the Earth's climate changes and that mankind is the main causer of the warming since the middle of the 20th century. In this context, the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics contributes to the knowledge about the effects of transport on the global climate. In future, a better understanding of how emissios from road vehicles, aircraft, ships and trains influence the composition of the atmosphere and its warming. With the aid of satellites, research aircraft and computer models the effects of transport emissions on the complex atmospheric chemistry is investigated.
Governments, enterprises and the civil society need sufficiently funded knowledge to be able to adapt to inevitable climate changes and, at the same time, to limit the climate change by profound transformations. So far, a risk management is missing which is based on the best available climate-scientific information and which would allow a better assessment of the advantages and shortcomings of climate-political decisions.
In the DKK position paper the scientists and experts make proposals how a better knowledge about future climate risks can be generated. They demand a stronger interdisciplinary cooperation between natural and social scientists as wells as transdisciplinary cooperation with political, economic and civilian partners.
Contact: Prof. Robert Sausen
The DKK-positions paper can be downloaded from www.deutsches-klima-konsortium.de/de/veroeffentlichungen/publikationen.html