Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research PIK

The Holocene (the past 12,000 years) has been a uniquely stable period for the climate, with global average temperatures at 14°C, varying by only 0.5°C. @jrockstrom explains how today, human activity is the dominant force for change on Earth. Full video: youtube.com/watch?v=Rphpxv…

2021 bekamen 0,8% der Haushalte in 🇩🇪 eine Wärmepumpe und 3% eine Öl- oder Gasheizung. 2025 waren es schon 1,9% bei Wärmepumpe und nur noch 1,4% bei Öl und Gas. Artikel in der Zeitschrift „Natur“ zur Ariadne-Studie mit Hauptautor Anton Knoche vom PIK. 👇 natur.de/artikel/waerme…

“The most impactful drivers for a sustainable food system are diet change, stopping deforestation and combating nitrogen pollution.” Video interview with PIK researcher Benjamin Bodirsky, produced by the environmental & sustainability consultancy SLR. 👇️ youtube.com/watch?v=FZ3iIs…

▶️ Watch the full video: youtube.com/watch?v=WsI1hQ… ➡️ More about the mentioned study: pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest…

What works in climate policy? Hannah Heiliger from PIK's Climate Economics and Policy Research Department explains how policy advice can be grounded in scientific evidence. She highlights a study that assessed 1,500 climate policies across 41 countries. 👇

📢 #JobOffer Join PIK as a Policy Research Analyst supporting the Science Panel for the Global Energy Transition. Work at the science–policy interface, contribute to global energy transition assessments and help translate climate science into policy. pik-potsdam.de/en/people/care…

„Die Probleme der deutschen Wirtschaft haben im Wesentlichen nichts mit dem Klimaschutz zu tun. Und für mich steht Klimaschutz dem Wirtschaftswachstum nicht im Wege.“ Interview PIK-Direktor Ottmar #Edenhofer @faznet. faz.net/aktuell/feuill… (€)

JOB OFFER: Senior Scientist in integrated assessment modelling & climate change mitigation pathway analysis 📍 Potsdam, Germany 📅 Starting 1 November 2026 ⏳ Fixed term: 2 years, 5 months 🗓 Apply by 13 August 2026 👉 more info: #position,id=effe5bb9-3c09-4fbd-a9b1-d05e7c812490,popup=y" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">potsdam.pi-asp.de/bewerber-web/?…

Supporting the next generation of climate scientists is key at PIK. In 2025, the institute hosted 105 doctoral candidates. Congrats to PIKs Norbert Marwan on receiving the University of Potsdam Graduate School's SUPERvisor Award for Daily Supervision 💐 pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest…

Recent observations in climate modelling have increased concern about a potential AMOC tipping: PIKs @rahmstorf & other scientists on why the risk of crossing such a tipping point is now considered more serious & the possible consequences. timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trendin…

What keeps Earth stable & what happens when we push beyond its limits? PIK Director @jrockstrom explains the Planetary Boundaries framework and why staying within Earth's safe operating space is key to a stable and just future. 👉️ Full video on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=Rphpxv…

“The additional flexibility does not alter the EU’s overall #ClimatePolicy course.” The EU Commission today presented its proposal for a reform of the EU Emissions Trading System #ETS. Here is the assessment of PIK Director Ottmar #Edenhofer: pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest…

"The paleoclimate evidence actually doesn't suggest that climate change would happen smoothly, but rather in some jumps and jolts and non-linear effects," says PIK's @rahmstorf in a @BBC explainer on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation #AMOC: bbc.com/news/articles/…

Healthier, more sustainable diets worldwide would reshape global agriculture. A new @Nature study shows the scale of the transformation. Bold policy action could maximise the benefits while supporting those affected by the transition, the authors conclude: pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest…

Every year, PIK scientists head to Vienna for the European Geosciences Union's General Assembly. But what actually happens at one of the largest geosciences conferences? Get a glimpse of PIK's Earth Resilience Science Unit at #EGU: youtube.com/watch?v=yQCD3T…

Mobility transition for Berlin, cooling strategies for Tirana: Different cities need different climate action strategies. A new PIK study with PIKs @efesce classifies 1,263 European cities into four types & identifies suitable climate measures for each. pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest…

Fires are raging in Western Europe. Christopher Reyer spoke to @DeutscheWelle about the human cost of these blazes, how we need to invest in climate adaptation and fire prevention, and to learn from the experts in parts of Europe that are more experienced with fire management.

New comment from Anders Levermann in @Nature points to the research gap on how tipping elements unfold and what impacts are incurred as they shift over decades from one state to another. nature.com/articles/d4158…

Was bedeutet der #Rechtspopulismus für die wissenschaftliche #Politikberatung? Vielbeachteter Auftritt von PIK-Direktor Ottmar #Edenhofer diese Woche im Brandenburger Landtag. Analyse mit Handlungsoptionen, mitentwickelt von @edenhofer_jacob. 👇 youtube.com/watch?v=Evu7fe… (ab 51:45)

40.4C: on 27 June '26, the highest temperature since measurements began in 1893 was recorded at the Potsdam Telegrafenberg where PIK is based. The measurement series is a reference point for assessing climate development in the region. Annual max temperature (2026 as of 9 July):