Climate Economics

Our climate economic research deals with the challenges of climate mitigation and adaptation at different levels (local – regional – global) and develops concepts as well as methods for the integration of different sectors and scales. We currently focus on the economic assessment of climate risks and management strategies to cope with them, the development of integrated concepts for climate mitigation and adaptation in urban areas and the analysis of international negotiations on climate mitigation and disaster risk reduction.

Our research is inter- and transdisciplinary. Within UFZ we cooperate closely e.g. with the departments of Environmental and Planning Law, Urban and Environmental Sociology and Environmental Policy as well as the Climate Office for Central Germany. Furthermore, we participate in the Helmholtz Climate Initiative Reklim and the Urban Climate Change Research Network.

News
Current Projects
Completed Projects
Publications
Team

News

Finance Opportunities for Climate Change Solutions in Cities
Reimund Schwarze, Peter B. Meyer, Anil Markandya et al.
EIONET 2017 report on linkages between disaster risk reduction and adaptation

Current Projects

PLACARD – PLAtform for Climate Adaptation and Risk reDuction

PLACARD is an open “space” for to connect with society and professionals from research and politics who are working in CCA and DRR. It provides the basis for the dialogues, assessment of gaps and barriers, and identification of weak and strong links between research, policy and practice. An assessment of the fragmented knowledge in science, policy and practice in CCA and DRR aims to enhance the coherence between the two areas. Current and emerging themes and issues will be identified. The PLACARD interchange – PLAtform for Climate Adaptation and Risk reDuction – is an online hub for dialogue, knowledge exchange and collaboration between the climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) communities.

Duration: 06/2015 – 05/2020
Contact: Prof. Dr. Reimund Schwarze
Donor: European Commission (H2020)
Website: www.placard-network.eu

REKLIM (Topic 7)

REKLIM Topic 7 (Risk assessment and risk management for climate adaptation strategies) explores the following key research issues:

Analysis of the public perception of climate change and natural hazards on a regional scale
Development of a regional and integrated flood risk management
Integrated risk assessment and improvement of communication strategies for local risk management and adaptation strategies in urban areas
Methodological and theoretical synthesis for developing tools for a regionally grounded adaptation to climate change
Analysis of the negotiation of adaptation and mitigation policies in international negotiations

It supported by three Helmholtz-Centers (HZG, KIT, UFZ) of Germany and three German universities (University of Hamburg, KIT-Karlsruhe, European University Viadrina, Frankfurt/O.).

Duration: 12/2009 – 12/2018
Contact: Prof. Dr. Reimund Schwarze
Donor: Helmholtz Association (HGF)
Website: www.reklim.de

ARC3-2 of the Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN)

The ARC3 report series represents a collaborative effort with authors from cities in developed and developing countries around the world. The reports are the first-ever global, interdisciplinary, cross-regional, science-based assessment to address climate risks, adaptation, mitigation, and policy mechanisms relevant to cities. The assessment articulates urban climate risk frameworks and climate science for cities, and derives policy implications for key urban sectors – water and sanitation, energy, transportation, public health – and the systemic issues of land use and governance.

Duration: 06/2015 – 05/2018
Contact: Prof. Dr. Reimund Schwarze
Donor: POF3: IP Urban Transformation (program funded)
Website: http://uccrn.org/what-we-do/arc3-report/

Completed Projects

RECAP 15 – Re-thinking the Efficacy of International Climate Agreements Post COP15

RECAP15 (Re-thinking the Efficacy of International Climate Agreements Post COP15) deals with the problem of international climate cooperation. The climate negotiations in Copenhagen 2009 (COP15) have drastically shown that continuation of the Kyoto-Protocol, the establishment of a follow-up climate agreement, respectively, are challenging tasks. Therefore RECAP15 aims to provide concrete recommendations and institutional proposals for future international climate policy. RECAP15 is a joint initiative of the European University Viadrina (EUV) in Frankfurt/Oder, the University Regensburg and the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research − UFZ in Leipzig.

Duration: 01/2011 – 6/2016
Contact: Prof. Dr. Reimund Schwarze
Donor: BMBF, since 6/2016 own funds
Website: http://www.europa-uni.de/en/forschung/institut/recap15/index.html

ConHaz − Cost of Natural Hazards

The EU project CONHAZ compiles and synthesis current knowledge on cost assessment methods considering natural hazards ranging from droughts, floods and coastal hazards to Alpine hazards, as well as different impacted sectors and cost types (i.e. direct tangible damages, losses due to business interruption, indirect damages, intangible effects, and costs of risk mitigation). It provided the first comprehensive overview on the current best practice of cost assessment methods.

www.ufz.de/index.php?en=35939