As a networking platform for the climate research community in Austria, the CCCA is committed to fostering connections and exchange between its members, thereby advancing climate research in Austria. To this end, the following measures are taken in particular:
Austrian Panel on Climate Change (APCC)
Modelled on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Austrian Panel on Climate Change (APCC) was established within the CCCA in the course of producing the first comprehensive Austrian assessment report on climate change in 2014 (AAR14). Under its umbrella, renowned scientists and researchers from the Austrian climate research community regularly compile the current state of research on climate change in Austria. The APCC reports highlight measures for climate protection and climate change adaptation, thereby providing the public with a well-founded basis for decision-making.
More information on the Austrian Panel on Climate Change and the respective reports can be found here.
Klimastatusbericht
The Austrian population is increasingly affected by extreme weather events, which are being further intensified by climate change. The annually published Klimastatusbericht, produced by the CCCA in collaboration with GeoSphere Austria (GSA), the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), and many other research institutions, sheds light on these events and their impacts on society and the environment. Each year, the report focuses on a specific topic.
The Klimastatusbericht helps to inform the public and raise awareness of the need for adaptation strategies. Since 2019, specific climate reviews have also been produced for all federal provinces, further strengthening the regional relevance and application of the data.
More information on the Klimastatusbericht can be found here.
National Energy and Climate Plan (NEKP)
In 2019, a reference plan was drawn up for the first time as the basis for a scientifically sound National Energy and Climate Plan for Austria (Ref-NEKP) that is aligned with the Paris climate targets, and was submitted to the National Climate Protection Committee. Together with many lead authors, more than seventy experts from the CCCA, the UniNEtZ project, the ÖAW, and other partner institutions contributed to the document.
More information on the Ref-NEKP can be found here.
49 scientists from climate and transformation research compiled this extensive statement as part of the commenting phase on the draft of the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan for Austria (period 2021–2030).
More information on the statement can be found here.
NEKP for Austria – Scientific assessment of the measures proposed in the 2023 consultation
In the summer of 2023, the BMK put forward a draft of the integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (NEKP) for Austria (period 2021–2030) for public comment. The CCCA coordinated the scientific assessment of the measures proposed during the public consultation on the NEKP, with a particular focus on identifying additional measures for greenhouse gas reduction by 2030. These were extracted from 100 public statements containing more than 1,400 proposals and thematically assigned to areas such as transport, energy, buildings, and agriculture. The CCCA's evaluation highlighted in particular the interactions between different policy areas and underscored the importance of cross-cutting topics such as biodiversity and governance. The scientific assessment was presented at a press conference.
More information on the scientific assessment of the proposed measures can be found here.
Klimaszenarien.AT
The Klimaszenarien.AT initiative brings together Austrian climate research to develop and communicate new climate scenarios in a scientifically robust and user-oriented way. This initiative builds on the Austrian Climate Scenarios 2015 (ÖKS15), which represented a significant milestone in climate impact research and climate change adaptation by creating a unified data source for national and regional studies.
Due to the relevance of the ÖKS data, its usage has grown steadily, particularly in the context of climate change adaptation strategies at various administrative levels. The new 2026 climate scenarios are set to continue this success story and further improve climate change adaptation through intensive collaboration with users.
More information on Klimaszenarien.AT can be found here.
Österreichischer Klimatag
The CCCA organises the Österreichischer Klimatag annually together with various co-organisers. The Österreichischer Klimatag is a scientific conference aimed at providing an overview of current Austrian research activities in the areas of climate change and transformation. It serves as an interdisciplinary networking event for the climate research community and gives both early-career and established researchers alike the opportunity to present their work. The Österreichischer Klimatag also offers formats for dialogue with stakeholders from politics, public administration, and research funding, and facilitates exchange with business representatives, practitioners, and the interested public.
More information on the Österreichischer Klimatag can be found here.
K3-Klimakongress
The K3-Klimakongress aims to motivate people to take action by exploring the question of effective climate communication. It provides an overview of the international state of research on climate communication and makes new findings from research accessible and applicable. Key actors from the fields of politics, public administration and business, interest groups, NGOs, as well as media and PR are brought together within this framework.
More information on the K3-Klimakongress can be found here.
CCCA Working Groups for the Promotion of Climate Research
Within the CCCA, there are strategic and thematic working groups that address specific projects and topics. The CCCA supports the establishment of these groups, accompanies their activities, and ensures that results are communicated throughout the network.
Strategic working groups, established by the CCCA board, drive forward specific projects. Designated board members coordinate these groups, whose members are determined by the board.
Thematic working groups are initiated by CCCA members and brought before the board, which decides on their establishment. These groups determine their own membership and require the participation of at least three member organisations.
These working groups promote exchange and collaboration within the community by specifically addressing relevant research topics and projects.
More information on the CCCA working groups can be found here.
Fact Sheets
To advise decision-makers from politics and society and to expand and support knowledge transfer within research as well as from research towards application, the CCCA provides fact sheets as one of its measures. These offer easy-to-understand summaries of climate-relevant fundamentals and current research findings. The aim of the fact sheets is to present knowledge in a comprehensible and applicable form for both the interested layperson and the expert alike.
More information on the fact sheets can be found here.
….and much more can be found at www.ccca.ac.at