Objectives

To reduce or avoid the impacts of climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face as a global community in the 21st century. Climate change strongly affects human life, society, and economy with regionally very different implications. As awareness of the potential regional impacts of climate change grows, the demand for more detailed information is also growing. Whether society is able or unable to adapt to a changing climate on time will be highly dependent on credible and effective communication of scientific research results to decision-makers, policy planners and a broad public. Sufficient information at the right time is needed to ensure that the best policy and adaptation decisions can be made, and practical solutions can be developed. A worldwide network of regionally specified climate offices facilitates the communication between the actors and will substantially contribute to decision-making processes in politics, economics, and society.

Climate on Earth is a complex system composed of several 'spheres', such as the atmosphere or the oceans. These spheres are closely connected in many ways. An understanding of Earth's climate requires knowledge on the individual spheres and their relationship among each other as well as on the factors that influence the climate. Nowhere is climate change more strongly expressed than in the polar regions which even respond to small changes in climate. In this context, the research profile of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association provides a unique research expertise.

The established climate office will facilitate and enhance the collection, dissemination, and use of valuable information from the institute's many climate-related polar research topics for the benefit of a wide national and international audience, such as public officials and organizations, corporations, and private citizens. This is especially important given that climate change and variability has emerged as a major public policy issue over the last decade, particularly with regard to impacts in sectors where the economic, social/cultural, and public health consequences are large.

Tasks

• Establish, operate, and maintain a climate information service for polar regions and sea level rise
• Summarise and provide effective, comprehensive and accurate climate-related information to the public in a timely fashion
• Develop a framework to interpret research results to advise stakeholders and policymakers on deriving strategies and initiatives to protect climate and environment
• Create synergy among the large amount of climate-related information within the institute
• Delineate the climate-relevant research results for stakeholders, decision makers and the broad public in a national as well as international context in the form of conference contributions, articles, presentations, courses, etc.
• Collaborate with international partners in need of complementary scientific information
• Act as a forum for climate research in polar regions
• Organise the linking between the different target groups
• Provide regional climate scenarios
• Mediate interaction and communication between the scientific community, politics, economics, and society
• Bridge the gap between science and practical implementation