The Climate Impacts group is an interdisciplinary group with high-level expertise on climate, air-pollution and economic modeling. We conduct comprehensive quantitative impact and risk analyses, including vulnerability, exposure and hazard components.
About the research group
We study the relation between physical climate change and in particular extreme events, and economic and societal consequences and associated uncertainties. We model and analyse risks in a holistic manner.
Our research focuses on various sectors such as agriculture, energy, transport and green investments. One of our priorities is to study the interactions between air pollution and climate change regarding health effects. Studying and communicating the links between climatic, economic and social risks is our contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The knowledge that we produce is useful for decision-makers in the private and public sectors, and we feel passionate about translating scientific knowledge and technical data so that decision-makers can more readily act on the best available knowledge.
While most knowledge on the impacts of future climate change relates to the physical impacts on nature and on the built environment, there is little knowledge about the social and economic consequences of climate projections. Social and economic consequences of physical impacts depend on who is responding to what and the opportunities they have for adaptation. This is a core issue in our research on the impacts of climate change.
Members of the group
The oldest source of air pollution still prevails
Twenty-two years into the twenty-first century, the oldest source of air pollution still prevails. Despite the many policies implemented by national governments and promoted by global bodies, solid fuel remains by far the dominant fuel used for cooking in most low and middle-income countries of South Asia and Africa, while solid fuel (both biomass and coal) is used for heating in much of East and Central Europe and Northern China.
Climate impacts internationally | Health
In flames: Air pollution and human health
While air pollution from PM2.5-emissions have been reduced in Europe and North America, air pollution from wildfires is increasing. With climate change, we will see more wildfires, risking that the impacts of the efforts that have been made to mitigate air pollution and related negative health effects could be diminished.
Health | Atmospheric particles
New report from Lancet Countdown highlights increasing impacts of climate change on people’s health and wellbeing
Climate change is undermining every dimension of global health monitored, states the most recent Lancet Countdown report that is tracking the connection between health and climate change.
Climate impacts internationally | Adaptation | Air pollution | Heat waves | Health | Extreme weather
RECEIPT (REmote Climate Effects and their Impact on European sustainability, Policy and Trade)
RECEIPT (REmote Climate Effects and their Impact on European sustainability, Policy and Trade) will map potential impacts and risks of climate extremes outside Europe on European socio-economic sectors.
PROVIDE: Paris Agreement Overshooting – Reversibility, Climate Impacts and Adaptation Needs
Overshooting the Paris Agreement 1.5°C temperature thresholds is a distinct possibility, but what does such temperature overshoots imply for the planning and design of adaptation action? The PROVIDE project will deliver information on overshoot scenarios and expected impacts and their reversibility, covering both sectors and geographical regions. The information will directly feed into adaptation action.
Climate impacts internationally | Adaptation | Climate Models
MYRIAD-EU: Improving disaster risk management through multi-hazard and multi-sector risk assessment
The EU-project MYRIAD-EU aims to enable decision-makers to develop forward-looking disaster risk management pathways that takes into account trade-offs and synergies across sectors, hazards and scales.
Climate impacts internationally | Adaptation | Temperature changes | Precipitation changes | Climate risk | Heat waves | Flooding | Extreme weather