"10 New Insights in Climate Science 2024/2025" released

Cover: 10NICS

The 10 New Insights in Climate Science report is a joint initiative of Future Earth, The Earth League, and the World Climate Research Programme. The annual series synthesizes the key recent developments in climate research. Since 2017, installments have been launched annually at the Climate COP with the UNFCCC.

This year’s report represents the collective efforts of more than 80 leading researchers from 45 countries and spans a vast range of climate research. It is designed to equip policymakers with the latest and most pivotal climate research published over the past 18 months. The climate science is synthesized to highlight the policy implications that can inform negotiations at COP29 and policy through 2025 and beyond.

The 10 New Insights in Climate Science 2024/2025 report unveils the overwhelming impacts of climate change that risk reversing decades of progress on maternal and reproductive health, contributing to more extreme and costly El Niño effects, and jeopardizing one of our most vital natural carbon sinks.

The report also highlights that, although there is an urgent need for ambitious policies that drive significant emissions reductions, these must be perceived as fair by the citizens for them to be accepted and, hence, effective. Climate policies perceived as unfair can give rise to entrenched resistance, limiting the success of policies and in some cases contributing to civil unrest.

The report further outlines the need to reduce human-induced methane emissions, the growing need of heat action plans, and the challenges for climate-resilient development in cities.

GERICS is participating in the 10 New Insights in Climate Science 2024/2025 through its direct support of the Earth League, and was specifically involved in the work on Insights 2, 5 and 10. Insight 2 addresses the implications of changing aerosol concentrations for climate mitigation and adaptation. Insight 5 focusses on the devastating global impacts of ocean changes. Insight 10 focusses on fairness, acceptance and resistance of climate policies. GERICS scientist Tanja Blome was involved as Insight coordinator for Insight 2, Henry Wu acted as Insight coordinator for Insights 5 and 10.