Ten new insights in climate science 2023

authored by

Mercedes Bustamante, Joyashree Roy, Daniel Ospina, Ploy Achakulwisut, Anubha Aggarwal, Ana Bastos, Wendy Broadgate, Josep G. Canadell, Edward R. Carr, Deliang Chen, Helen A. Cleugh, Kristie L. Ebi, Clea Edwards, Carol Farbotko, Marcos Fernández-Martínez, Thomas L. Frölicher, Sabine Fuss, Oliver Geden, Nicolas Gruber, Luke J. Harrington, Judith Hauck, Zeke Hausfather, Sophie Hebden, Aniek Hebinck, Saleemul Huq, Matthias Huss, M. P.Laurice Jamero, Sirkku Juhola, Nilushi Kumarasinghe, Shuaib Lwasa, Bishawjit Mallick, Maria Martin, Steven McGreevy, Paula Mirazo, Aditi Mukherji, Greg Muttitt, Gregory F. Nemet, David Obura, Chukwumerije Okereke, Tom Oliver, Ben Orlove, Nadia S. Ouedraogo, Prabir K. Patra, Mark Pelling, Laura M. Pereira, Åsa Persson, Julia Pongratz, Anjal Prakash, Anja Rammig, Colin Raymond, Aaron Redman, Cristobal Reveco, Johan Rockström, Regina Rodrigues, David R. Rounce, E. F.Lisa Schipper, Peter Schlosser, Odirilwe Selomane, Gregor Semieniuk, Yunne Jai Shin, Tasneem A. Siddiqui, Vartika Singh, Giles B. Sioen, Youba Sokona, Detlef Stammer, Norman J. Steinert, Sunhee Suk, Rowan Sutton, Lisa Thalheimer, Vikki Thompson, Gregory Trencher, Kees van der Geest, Saskia E. Werners, Thea Wübbelmann, Nico Wunderling, Jiabo Yin, Kirsten Zickfeld, Jakob Zscheischler

Abstract

Non-technical summary. We identify a set of essential recent advances in climate change research with high policy relevance, across natural and social sciences: (1) looming inevitability and implications of overshooting the 1.5°C warming limit, (2) urgent need for a rapid and managed fossil fuel phase-out, (3) challenges for scaling carbon dioxide removal, (4) uncertainties regarding the future contribution of natural carbon sinks, (5) intertwinedness of the crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, (6) compound events, (7) mountain glacier loss, (8) human immobility in the face of climate risks, (9) adaptation justice, and (10) just transitions in food systems. Technical summary. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Reports provides the scientific foundation for international climate negotiations and constitutes an unmatched resource for researchers. However, the assessment cycles take multiple years. As a contribution to cross- and interdisciplinary understanding of climate change across diverse research communities, we have streamlined an annual process to identify and synthesize significant research advances. We collected input from experts on various fields using an online questionnaire and prioritized a set of 10 key research insights with high policy relevance. This year, we focus on: (1) the looming overshoot of the 1.5°C warming limit, (2) the urgency of fossil fuel phase-out, (3) challenges to scale-up carbon dioxide removal, (4) uncertainties regarding future natural carbon sinks, (5) the need for joint governance of biodiversity loss and climate change, (6) advances in understanding compound events, (7) accelerated mountain glacier loss, (8) human immobility amidst climate risks, (9) adaptation justice, and (10) just transitions in food systems. We present a succinct account of these insights, reflect on their policy implications, and offer an integrated set of policy-relevant messages. This science synthesis and science communication effort is also the basis for a policy report contributing to elevate climate science every year in time for the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Social media summary. We highlight recent and policy-relevant advances in climate change research – with input from more than 200 experts.

External Organisation(s)

Universidade de Brasilia
Asian Institute of Technology
Future Earth Secretariat Sweden
Stockholm Environment Institute
University of Delhi
Max Planck Institute of Biogeochemistry (MPI-BGC)
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Clark University
University of Gothenburg
Australian National University
University of Washington
Arizona State University
Griffith University Queensland
CREAF - Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications
University of Bern
Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC)
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU Berlin)
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP )Deutsches Institut für Internationale Politik und Sicherheit
ETH Zurich
University of Waikato
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Stripe
Berkeley Earth
Erasmus University Rotterdam
International Centre for Climate Change & Development (ICCCAD)
International Institute for Environment & Development (IIED)
Independent University, Bangladesh
Ateneo de Manila University
University of Helsinki
Future Earth Secretariat Canada
Sustainability in the Digital Age
Utrecht University
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
University of Twente
CGIAR
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
University of Wisconsin
CORDIO East Africa
University of Reading
Columbia University
UN Economic Commission for Africa
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
Research Institute for Humanity and Nature
University College London (UCL)
University of the Witwatersrand
Stockholm University
Linkoping University
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M)
Indian School of Business (ISB)
Technical University of Munich (TUM)
University of California (UCLA)
Monitoring and Evaluating Climate Communication and Education Project (MECCE)
Helmholtz Zentrum Geesthacht Centre for Materials and Coastal Research
University of Potsdam
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
Carnegie Mellon University
University of Bonn
University of Pretoria
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Université Montpellier
University of Dhaka
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
Future Earth Secretariat Japan
National Institute for Environmental Studies of Japan
African Climate Policy Centre
Universität Hamburg
Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE)
Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
Nagasaki University
UNU Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)
University of Oxford
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
Kyoto University
Wageningen University and Research
Wuhan University
Simon Fraser University
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)
Technische Universität Dresden

Type

Article

Journal

Global Sustainability

Volume

7

Publication date

2024

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Global and Planetary Change, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 13 - Climate Action

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2023.25 (Access: Open)