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Getting even hotter: Researchers predict global warming of 1.7 degrees by 2027

While Europe is currently sweltering in the heat, global temperatures are also rising towards concerning record levels. In 2026, Earth’s surface air temperature is expected to reach 1.62 degrees, and in 2027 even 1.71 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The long-term temperature rise – an average over a 20-year period – is predicted to exceed the 1.5-degree threshold of the Paris Agreement as of 2026 already. For the first time, researchers at the University of Graz have been able to make such a forecast so far in advance. The intensifying El Niño climate event favors forecast skill and thereby facilitates a reliable computation.

UNIZEIT - Der Natur auf der Spur

Seltene Schmetterlinge, ein plätschernder Bach, wilder Wald. Im steirischen Nationalpark Gesäuse gehen Studierende und Forschende mit der Natur auf Tuchfühlung. Sie untersuchen Wasserproben, umarmen Bäume mit Maßbändern, pflücken Pflanzen auf der Suche nach Umwelt-DNA. Dabei gewinnen sie wertvolle Einsichten in Ökosysteme im Klimawandel.

UNIZEIT - Ist Holz der Weg?

Können Unternehmen profitabel wirtschaften und gleichzeitig die Umwelt schützen? Ja, sagt Bioökonom Tobias Stern. Fossile Rohstoffe einfach durch nachwachsende zu ersetzen, führt allerdings nicht zwangsläufig zum Ziel. Wegwerf-Produkte schneiden in der Ökobilanz immer schlecht ab.

UNIZEIT - Grün im Grau

Ein paar Blüten auf der Fensterbank heben das Gemüt, die schattenspendende Allee auf dem Weg zum Supermarkt erleichtert den städtischen Alltag im Hochsommer. Urbaner Grünraum wird immer wichtiger, bestätigt die Geographin Anke Strüver. Sie erforscht, wie man ihn möglichst allen sozialen Schichten zugänglich machen kann.

How the University of Graz’s Sermilik Station can boost polar research

Ende Mai 2026 trafen sich Polar-Wissenschaftler:innen aus aller Welt an der Uni Graz, um die Forschungsschwerpunkte der Sermilik-Station in Ostgrönland für die nächsten zehn Jahre festzulegen.

From one to many: Uni Graz researchers identify a mechanism for the origin of species

When a habitat changes, animals, plants and even humans must adapt to the new environmental conditions. Those who manage this fastest and best will prevail. Over time, new species that are specialised for specific habitats also develop. Zoologist Christian Sturmbauer and his research group at the University of Graz, together with international partners, have now demonstrated that the molecular biological process of “alternative splicing” – contrary to previous assumptions – contributes highly effectively to the formation of new species. Different combinations of parts of the same gene give rise to various, structurally slightly different variants of functional proteins. This leads very rapidly to significant changes. The research findings were published in the renowned journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A substantial community: the key role of soil crusts in the earth system

They are often overshadowed by the plant world: lichens, fungi, mosses and bacteria, which form unique communities on rocks and trees or as soil crusts. Bettina Weber from the University of Graz is bringing this biological alliance into the research spotlight. Her research shows that these communities form an essential part of the Earth’s critical zone and play a key role in the interactions between land and atmosphere. Bettina Weber was honoured by the European Geosciences Union for her groundbreaking research at the beginning of May.

Workshop: Sermilik Station in an Arctic Perspective

A three-day workshop from 27 to 29 May 2026 on the future of research at Austria’s only Arctic field station held at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Research (Heinrichstraße 36, 8010 Graz)

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Climate at the cliffs: Researchers unravel the evolution of the Greenland ice margin

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Achieving climate goals: Researchers highlight need for fair country shares in CO2

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Inequalities: why women are more strongly affected by climate security risks

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Prevention gets more important: Snow cover in Austria is declining sharply

The snow cover in Austria is shrinking by one centimetre a year, and the volume of glaciers could decrease by 80 per cent by 2050. A recent study…