COP29 Spotlight | Land-based carbon removal and the climate crisis
Removing carbon from the atmosphere will play a crucial role in the ability of countries to reach their climate goals. “Alongside the role of carbon capture technologies, enhancing the carbon sink potential land sector is the solution to offsetting residual un-abatable emissions and therefore achieving net-zero targets,” says Maria Vincenza Chiriacò, CMCC researcher and member of the Italian delegation to COP29 – where Parties to the Paris Agreement are working towards establishing clear and rigorous rules for a UN backed-global carbon market.
COP29 Spotlight | A collective financial goal for a just transition
Mitigation and adaptation finance are critical elements in climate negotiations aimed at building a more resilient future. “COP29 has already been called ‘the Finance COP’ due to the importance of the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG), which will replace the previous USD 100 billion goal,” says Marta Ellena, CMCC researcher and member of the Italian delegation to COP29. Frontier climate research, such as that conducted at CMCC, can support international and local climate financing mechanisms by quantifying needs, evaluating and devising effective policies, and ensuring accountability and transparency of financial flows.
COP29 Spotlight | Loss and Damage: At the forefront of climate impacts
“We need to pull together and scale up resources within and beyond the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, and ensure that these resources reach those most in need,” say CMCC experts in the buildup to COP29. Following the creation of the Loss and Damage Fund, economic and adaptation experts have focused on estimating the amount of financial resources needed to support vulnerable regions whilst promoting a just allocation that reflects the unequal distribution of climate impacts. After the official operationalization of the Fund and the first round of commitments, pledges have reached over 700 million USD in 2024.
COP29 Spotlight | The critical role of National Adaptation Plans for Least Developed Countries
As the world’s leaders, scientists, and policy experts gather for COP29 in Baku, discussions around National Adaptation Plans for the most vulnerable nations, particularly least developed countries, are poised to take center stage. With climate change disproportionately impacting these regions, scientific insight from CMCC researcher Caterina Guidi highlights that adaptation is not just a policy goal but an urgent necessity for survival and sustainable development.
Halting biodiversity loss: More than just an environmental imperative
Climate change and biodiversity loss are intertwined crises with common causes and effects. Research, science-based tools, and collaboration are taking center stage as national and international efforts to understand, monitor and promote biodiversity ramp up. From the ongoing COP16 on Biological Diversity to the National Biodiversity Future Centre, Italy’s first National Research and Innovation Center dedicated to biodiversity, getting accurate knowledge and data to decision makers and stakeholders is key.
Are extreme events in the Mediterranean the new normal?
2024 saw yet another Mediterranean summer characterized by extreme climate and weather events. From waterspouts and wildfires to heatwaves, cyclones and floods, researchers are investigating the causes of these changes, how to better predict them, and what we need to adapt to the changes that they bring.
Manifestations of chaos: The rise, fall and revival of the Koopman operator
Modeling and data-driven analysis are two essential pillars of climate science. The complex and chaotic nature of the climate system defies straightforward predictions like those possible with linear physical systems. A comprehensive theoretical framework for complexity could provide the context and tools to fully describe it. Could a century-old mathematical tool hold the key? The revival of the Koopman operator offers a promising path to achieve a more complete theoretical understanding of the climate system.
What’s on? Climate science meets art at the museum
A collection of exhibitions and cultural events from around the world that showcase the value of bringing together art and science. From photography to design, art can help communicate climate, create increased understanding and awareness about our planet and also stimulate scientific progress.
Those that lose out: Paying for the biggest cost of climate change
Climate change induced extreme weather events are on the rise, exacerbating inequalities both between and within countries on all continents. From hurricanes to heatwaves, extreme events impose costs that are not borne equally and that weigh more heavily on the poorest. “We are increasingly seeing that differing capacities for adapting to climate change are not just a matter that concerns high- and low-income countries but also the social differences within wealthy ones,” says CMCC researcher Giacomo Nicolini.
A series of dialogues involving international experts, writers, artists, journalists, scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs to discuss the role of communication in accelerating the climate transition.
Discover and join the forthcoming Foresight Dialogues, the webinar series for the CMCC Climate Change Communication Award “Rebecca Ballestra”.
A collection of words with which we hope to plant the seeds of awareness, providing in-depth definitions of some of the most pressing topics related to climate change.
Because understanding the discourse that surrounds the climate crisis is the key to a sustainable future.
Climate-smart agriculture
Growing the food of tomorrow will require ever greater technological support. From sensors and the internet of things to robotics and novel ways of analyzing data, climate-smart agriculture is emerging as a key solution to producing more with less in a rapidly changing world.
Disclosure
Transparency from companies and governments about climate-related information, risks and opportunities is crucial for building a resilient economy, empowering communities and creating an equal and fair society. In the era of climate change, a standardized disclosure framework to understand climate risk is not only helpful to investors, it’s also critical to companies for strategic planning.
Green premium
“It is a challenge to be overcome if we want to reach our climate targets,” say global experts, investors and economists. The green premium concept helps measure progress on green technology deployment and, at the same time, establish what the next steps should be for a rapid low-carbon transition. A review of sources, definitions and data to understand a key factor in the climate transition.
Every story is a climate story – Ep. 09
We know a lot about the crisis. We know that it is time to progress from understanding the problems to solving them. However, we also know that there is no perfect solution. It is a
How much is it? The cost of climate change – Ep. 08
Money moves the attention of people, investors, and capital owners. Money is part of many solutions to the climate deadlock. But numbers are not enough to calculate the economic value of the climate issue. Numbers
Climate on trial – Ep. 07
The Urgenda case was the game changer. It opened up a new dialogue between human rights law and climate science, while it marked a watershed moment for climate justice: from then on, we saw new
Discovering wind droughts and their impacts on energy supply
As wind energy continues along its upward trajectory, gradually becoming a crucial global energy source, identifying the regions with the greatest potential for future development is key. However, understanding wind variability and identifying areas susceptible to “wind droughts” can inform where we should develop the industry and how to make it more resilient.
The grass is always greener, in my backyard: Perception and impacts of renewable energy
“Wind and solar energy are inherently free,” though research is crucial to understanding the true costs and benefits of renewable energy projects. As renewable energy evolves, with technical barriers dissolving and costs declining, challenges persist in navigating public perception and policy hurdles. CMCC researcher Wei Guo explores the multifaceted journey of overcoming historical obstacles and envisioning a sustainable transition, delving into the complexities that will shape our renewable energy future.
A climate compass: Advanced research directions to understand and design the future
The current effects of climate and the increasingly analytical understanding of what will happen in the future. Big data and the challenges of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Increasingly detailed and understandable climate data to better define policies and strategies for the interaction between human societies and nature. The European State of the Climate 2023 through the lens of CMCC’s research strategy in the words of Simona Masina, director of the Institute for Earth System Prediction, and Monia Santini, director of the Institute for Climate Resilience.
Visual narratives: From science to engagement through the European State of the Climate
More than just colorful maps and eye-catching graphics. Data visualization enhances the readability of complex data, engages broader audiences, and sparks interest in the “state of the climate”. Anna Lombardi, climate data visualizer at the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), offers insight into what’s behind visual narratives for climate trends. Through innovative data visualizations, the latest C3S report enhances accessibility and engagement with climate science across all audiences.
Fanning the flames of wildfire resilience
The frequency and intensity of wildfire events is on the rise due to a combination of climate and land use changes. However, the dominant approach to wildfire management, namely direct reaction and response, is starting to prove both ineffective and in some ways even contributing to megafire events. With researchers increasingly focusing on prevention and preparedness there are new solutions to creating resilient firewise communities.
How the wind blows: Numbers and data on renewables
In 2023 the global wind industry expanded its capacity by over 50% compared to the previous year as countries around the world ramped up investments in wind energy generation. Despite this, recent news has focused on a wind slowdown due to rising prices, supply chain issues and local opposition. What is the true state of global wind energy development?
What is the state of the European climate?
What does it mean to be the world’s fastest warming continent toppling flooding, temperature and wildfire records as glaciers melt at unprecedented rates and communities suffer like never before? Understanding the latest trends in Europe’s climate, including progress in areas such as renewable energy generation and resilience to extreme events, is the key to effective adaptation and mitigation.
Beyond material and design: Bridging urban climate adaptation to Europe
Urban environment and infrastructure design are among the intersections of local, national, and European adaptation policies. Evidence of these interactions is part of the New European Bauhaus, where architecture and creativity meet climate science and sustainable development goals.
We explore insights from the European Environment Agency (EEA) report ‘Urban Adaptation in Europe’, which analyses solutions to climate challenges.
Visualizing climate science
A participatory approach is the foundation for building solutions that empower citizens, policymakers, experts, and non-experts to make informed decisions. Co-designing data visualizations that reflect the findings made with climate science is key to reach the right audiences and foster change. Data visualization explained by Angela Morelli, the information designer that contributed to the most recent Summaries for Policymakers published by the IPCC.
Creative sustainability: The New European Bauhaus
In the pre-WWII era, the German design school set the template for beautiful, functional design with a focus on the built environment. In its modern iteration, the New European Bauhaus integrates the principles of sustainability, inclusivity, and aesthetics to propel innovation and move society towards more sustainable development.
Science and knowledge: The keys to a healthy Ocean Decade
As the global community grapples with the urgency of preserving one of the planet’s most vital resources, the Ocean Decade Conference is striving to put science at the center of the process. Has the latest conference in Barcelona shown how to deliver the science we need for the ocean we want?
Coastline cruising: The nexus of science, society, and climate change
Science writes stories about people, communities, and cities along the thin area that separates the sea from land, where one of the most important challenges with regards to climate change is playing out. Innovation, technology, research, local communities, and global policy meet here.
Adapting to rising climate risks: A matter of justice
The EEA’s first ever European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA) identifies justice as a key component of adaptation. Yet justice is not just about measuring the equity in distribution of benefits and burdens from climate impacts, it’s also intrinsically tied to the concept of resilience.