Transition4Climate

Within the Excellence Initiative of the Austrian Science Fund FWF, Climate Change Graz has reached the final round together with renowned institutions. The decision will be made in March 2023.

Clusters of Excellence (COE) is a funding initiative launched by the FWF to further strengthen Austria's position as a top international location for science and research. These "Clusters of Excellence" enable groups of scientists to anchor a field of research at the top international level in Austria in the long term through outstanding cooperative achievements.

Climate Change Graz submitted a proposal together with renowned Austrian research institutions, which was selected by an international jury from 35 concept proposals for the final decision round. The decisive factors were the innovative potential and scientific excellence. The finalists have now submitted their full proposals. The decision will be made after their review and a hearing in March 2023, when an international jury will again evaluate the proposals. The first "Clusters of Excellence" will be able to start their research work from June 2023.

The overarching research question of the proposal, "Exploring climate change and low carbon transition pathways," is:

What are viable pathways to net-zero emissions and climate resilient societies by mid-century, considering tipping dynamics in natural and social systems, trade-offs, cobenefits, risks, and uncertainties?

Building on this overarching question, the three main research questions of Transition4Climate are:

How will the climate respond, at the global, regional, and local scales, to different GHG emission pathways that lead to net-zero emissions, where are important tipping points in biophysical systems, how will extreme events change, and how will these affect the land surface and land cover?

What is the role of human agency in the transition to net-zero emission societies, which behavioral choices at individual and collective levels, normative and legal solutions, governance structures, infrastructures and technologies are decisive for a rapid transition?

What are efficient and just land management strategies supporting low-carbon transition pathways and climate resilience while supplying sufficient food, water and energy as well as conserving and restoring ecosystems and habitats at local to global scales?

The Board of Directors (BOD) is composed of the following eight senior scientists from the seven research institutions: Ilona Otto (University of Graz), Andreas Stohl (University of Vienna), Gottfried Kirchengast (University of Graz), Erwin Schmid (University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences), Linda See (IIASA), Wolfgang Wagner (Vienna University of Technology), Thomas Blaschke (Paris Lodron University Salzburg), Elke Ludewig (ZAMG).