Aims of the Climate Status Report

The aim of the Climate Status Report is to describe the climate change that has already been experienced, place it in the context of possible future developments, and present potential action and adaptation strategies.

Drawing on experience — including with the communicative power of the ÖKS15 Fact Sheets — it has often proved difficult to communicate the topic of climate change purely in terms of possible future conditions. Decision-makers therefore don't engage with the topic of climate change and its necessary consequences to the desired extent. Subjectively experienced climate phenomena, which may also be anchored emotionally through images or stories, offer an entirely different entry point into the subject.

The aim of the Climate Status Report must therefore be to make the topic of climate change as tangible as possible through narrative event descriptions and compelling images, without becoming scientifically inaccurate.

Target Audience

The planned Climate Status Report is aimed at decision-makers (federal and state politics, public administration, mayors, members of advisory bodies such as the National Climate Committee…) as well as operationally active bodies (administrations of all territorial authorities, climate change adaptation advisory centres, climate change adaptation model regions KLAR...), as well as multipliers and the so-called interested general public.

<link file:4577 download internal link in current>Download the full call for proposals

Topic, Structure and Layout of the Climate Status Report

The commissioners of the Climate Status Report have already received a list of proposed topics (compiled by BOKU, ZAMG, CCCA) and have decided on an analysis of frost damage events in connection with the early start of the growing season in spring 2017. The selection of topics was decided by a committee of climate protection coordinators, representatives of the ministry, and CCCA researchers (editorial team) based on the relevance of the events and the baseline analyses available from the 28 CCCA member organisations.

The report will consist of four modules. Module 1 will be developed by ZAMG and includes a nationwide presentation of selected climate indicators relevant to the chosen events, as well as the interpretation of the deviation of these indicators in the current year relative to the reference period.

Building on the set of meteorological parameters defined in ÖKS15 (average temperature and precipitation values as well as selected indicators) and ZAMG's monthly reports, the previous year will be described at the national level and examined in comparison with the standard climate period 1971–2000.

The Climate Status Report will consist of four modules:

 ·         Module 1 - Status Report on Climate Change in Austria (ZAMG)

                Building on the set of meteorological parameters defined in ÖKS15 (Austrian Climate Scenarios 2015) (average temperature and precipitation values as well as selected indicators) and ZAMG's monthly reports, the previous year will be described at the national level and examined in comparison with the standard climate period 1971–2000. This includes a nationwide presentation of selected climate indicators relevant to the chosen events, as well as the interpretation of the deviation of these indicators in the current year relative to the reference period.

·         Module 2 – Frost: Impacts on the Environment and Society

·         Module 3 – Frost: Adaptation

·         Module 4 – Frost: Narratives & Stories

                Building on Modules 1 to 3, press-ready topics will be selected at an editorial meeting (see Module 2). These topics will be developed by CCCA together with communications experts into stories or on the basis of verified media reports, tailored to the chosen media target audience.

The report will be compiled by the CCCA Service Centre. Design and layout will also be handled by the CCCA Service Centre to ensure a consistent appearance throughout the report. The drafting of texts will take place in close cooperation with the CCCA Service Centre so that a consistent style and flow of text can be achieved.

Module 2 – Frost: Impacts on the Environment & Society

Building on Module 1, this section brings together the impacts on the environment and society, along with their direct and indirect impact chains, at the national level. 

This is therefore an analysis of the impacts of the events presented in Module 1 from a socio-economic perspective (e.g. relevance for areas such as agriculture, tourism, disaster management…).

Since no baseline analyses can be carried out within this report, careful consideration must be given to which events have already been studied by CCCA members and can therefore be addressed within the project timeframe.

Scope and Content

Two printed pages are available for Module 2. The text may be no longer than 7,500 characters (including spaces) and must include at least one photo or figure.
If deemed necessary by the authors, a third page (of 3,750 characters) may be added.

What's needed is a description of the impacts of frost on the economy and society (what damage occurred, what significance does this have for the (agricultural) economy in Austria and the particularly affected regions, what does this mean for the businesses concerned…) as well as, by way of introduction, a description of the climate risk posed by the earlier onset of the growing season in combination with the occurrence of late frosts.

Module 3 – Frost: Adaptation

This module also addresses the overarching topic of frost, but should focus more strongly — depending on which specific impacts on the environment and society (impact chain(s)) are presented — on strategies and processes for climate change adaptation and the associated climate risk that relate to the frost theme.

Additionally, a description is required of whether and how the analysed events are taken into account in the various climate change adaptation strategies. In Austria, there are several relevant strategies and programmes:

• the climate-fit forest – BMLFUW,
• Austrian Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
• Climate change adaptation strategies of the federal states
• KLAR! – Climate Change Adaptation Model Regions
• Master Plan Climate Risk

Scope

Two printed pages are likewise available for Module 3. The text may be no longer than 7,500 characters (including spaces) and must include at least one photo or figure.

If needed (and deemed necessary by the authors), a third page (of 3,750 characters) may be added.

Structure of the Application

The maximum length of the application is two A4 pages (per module) and should be structured as follows:

• Description of any preliminary work already carried out on the frost topic
• Outline of the planned text structure of the respective module, including the planned content (bullet points are sufficient)
• List of sources, data, and reports to be drawn upon when drafting the text
• List of any additional researchers / institutions / partners involved
• Attached CV of the lead applicant, including a list of their scientific qualifications

Scientific Project Lead: Herbert Formayer (BOKU)

The commissioners (federal states and BMNT) are regularly involved in the project development and actively participate in key meetings.

After the submission deadline has passed, the selection of the successful applicant(s) will be made in consultation with the commissioners, the scientific project lead, and CCCA.