The Climate Service Center (CSC)Hamburg, Germany

Status and Objectives: Feb. 2010

Guy P. Brasseur

Vision

• To be a reliable source of climate information, presented in a compelling and effective way to reach large and influential audiences, and to build capacity to anticipate, plan for, and adapt to climate change.

Objectives (1)

• Understand the magnitude and patterns of multi-scale climate change and its impacts;

• Provide state-of-the-art global and regional projections of climate changes;

• Assess the impacts of climate change on the environment and human society;

• Evaluate their economic and social implications;

Objectives (2)

• Assess mitigation and adaptation strategies, and develop policy and business solutions;

• Deliver and communicate to decision makers and to the general public factual problem-oriented information on climate changes and its impacts on society;

• Evaluate and strengthen educational and capacity-building strategies to help address climate change.

Management (1)

• The Climate Service Center, located in Hamburg, Germany, is a national institution financially supported by the federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and operated by the GKSS Research Center in Geesthacht (Helmholtz Association).

• It is administered by a Steering Committee that is composed of representatives of the 3 Ministries of Education and Research, Environment, and Transportation, and is led by the CSC Director

Management (2)

• The Center includes about 20 staff supported by a 5-year BMBF grant, and additional staff supported by different externally funded projects.

• The Center is organized around several Departments: (1) Geo-physical System; (2) Geo-ecological System; (3) Socio-economic System; and (4) Information, Communication, Education.

Partnerships (1)

• The Climate Service Center focuses on the interactions between science and society.

• It develops strong partnerships with decision-makers in business and industry, non-governmental organizations, and local, national, and international governmental bodies and agencies.

• It works closely with universities, environmental research and assessment programs, government laboratories, and other international and national research institutions.

Partnerships (2)

• CSC develops active interactions with stakeholders who can benefit from the knowledge provided by CSC.

• CSC develops decision-making processes and decision-support mechanisms to help ensure effective applications of science to societal needs.

• CSC acts as a facilitator, an integrator and a community builder.

Structure

Data analysis and processing of climate

projections (multi-model ensembles)

Project acquisition & development; translation of

knowledge for various sectors; organisation of

expert panels

Web portal, PR (sectors, press);

organization of interdisciplinary courses

and events

Response to customer inquiries

Management (External Bodies)

• Not yet decided by BMBF…. But probably:• Steering Committee with representatives of

Ministries and Helmholtz Association• Partner Forum (DWD, MPI-M, Kompass, etc.)• Advisory Panel (ad hoc for specific problems)

Recent Achievements

• Signature of a cooperation agreement with the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau (SMB) focusing on climate services

• Discussion about our participation in the Klimawoche in Hamburg

• Participation in the visit of Frau Prof. Dr. Schavan, Minister of Science, in Washington (workshop at NSF)

• Visit to several Länder (Sachsen, South German Länder, etc.)

• Meeting with the Regional Klimabüros and Kompass/UBA.

Recent Achievements

• Preliminary discussions for extension of CSC network (PIK, GFZ, UFZ, AWI, etc.)

• Belmont Challenge (ICSU)• Links with the Hamburg Planetarium• Session at the Summer AGU Assembly (Brazil) on

climate Services• COSMOS Project (Prof. Claussen)• Meeting of the European Global Change Forum

(industry, NGO) at CSC in March

Possible Initiatives

• Study of the trends in the global temperature records by an international group of experts, and publication of a study report.

• Workshop on “What after Copenhagen?”• Development of a research project on the

prediction of convective events and the related damages in Europe (follow-up of symposium with insurance companies)

Issues (personal perspective, JM)

• Relationship to German Weather Service (DWD) not yet fully defined (complementarity vs. competition)

• Funders (BMBF) stress the communication of climate information; CSC role in creating climate information not yet fully defined (e.g., climate projections, decadal climate prediction)

Thank You