IPCC Chair Jim Skea at Research Dialogue in Bonn: Aligning Research Closer to Policy and Regions

At the 18th Research Dialogue in Bonn, IPCC Chair Jim Skea called for a stronger orientation of climate research toward practical decision‑making. The Dialogue serves as a bridge between science and policy; what is needed are results that can be used directly for planning, regulation and investment.

Skea emphasized that the IPCC does more than translate research into findings — it turns science into decision‑relevant information. Policymakers need clear statements on impacts, risks and options for action — across physical, economic, social and technological dimensions.

Priorities for research

– Regionalized projections: Global averages are insufficient for authorities and infrastructure planning. Robust data at regional and local scales are needed to assess risks more precisely and improve preparedness. – Attribution and risk analysis: Placing individual extreme events in the context of climate change supports insurers, disaster management and questions of liability. – Entry points for rapid emissions reductions: Reliable analyses are required to show which measures deliver the greatest short‑term impact, at what costs and with what social consequences. – Transformation pathways: Societal transitions in energy, transport, industry and agriculture should reduce emissions while improving living conditions. This includes evaluating negative emissions technologies in terms of effectiveness, risks and realistic potential.

Data, observation and open information

Skea advocated expanding global observation networks and improving data availability. Measurement gaps — particularly in less developed countries — hinder reliable regional risk assessments. Open data platforms increase transparency and allow independent local evaluations.

He stressed the importance of linking satellite data, ground observations and socioeconomic information systems. Only the combination of physical and social data makes information truly usable for administration, adaptation and planning.

Justice and capacity building

The IPCC chair highlighted the importance of inclusivity. In many countries of the Global South scientific capacities need to be strengthened so that local questions can be addressed independently and local knowledge can be systematically integrated. This includes long‑term knowledge transfer, training and access to data and computing resources. Indigenous and local knowledge systems provide practical insights that are often underrepresented in model‑based approaches.

Strengthening interdisciplinarity

Climate issues are not only natural‑scientific. Economic, sociological, political science and behavioural research should work more closely with climate models and technological research. This makes it possible to design effective policy instruments — from pricing and regulation to investment strategies — that are realistic and socially acceptable. At the same time, technological pathways are needed for clean energy, efficient industrial processes and sustainable agriculture.

Urgency and time horizons

Decisions made in this decade will shape emissions trajectories for decades to come. Accordingly, research must address short‑ and medium‑term questions: expected emissions reductions, cost‑benefit profiles of policy packages and transition risks for sectors and regions. At the same time, basic research remains essential to reduce long‑term uncertainties — for example about tipping points and feedbacks in the climate system.

Role of the Research Dialogue

The Research Dialogue serves as a platform to identify research gaps, prioritise projects and focus funding programmes. The goal is to make decision‑relevant findings available more rapidly and to better coordinate research capacities.

Next steps

From Bonn came the call to align programmes more closely with concrete policy questions, strengthen regional data infrastructures and reliably finance capacity building. The IPCC intends to make scientific evidence accessible and tie recommendations closely to political processes. Decisionmakers need clearly prepared options, likely effects and information on costs and distributional impacts.