Research at CICERO
The climate issue is extensive. We need to learn more about how to curb man-made
climate change and adapt to the impacts.
A central question is: How can climate policy be made deeper with respect
to emissions cuts, broader with respect to participation, and longer
with a view to the future?
CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS. Intense discussion during the Conference of the Parties to
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Marrakesh, Morocco, 2001. CICERO
studies what makes international climate negotiations likely to succeed or fail.
(Photo: IISD)
Cooperation must take place across scientific disciplines and national borders.
The wide range of disciplines represented among CICERO staff members allows us to
approach these issues with fresh perspectives. Our research is divided into three
interdisciplinary programs:
-
Scientific basis and international agreements
- What are the key processes, both natural and man-made, that contribute to climate
change?
- What are the effects of emissions and climate policy measures on the climate system?
- How do we translate scientific knowledge about the climate system and future scenarios
to politically feasible international agreements?
- What role does conflicting interests, at both the domestic and international levels,
play in negotiations?
Researchers in this research program
-
Mitigation and costs
- How can we mitigate climate change cost effectively for the short and the long
term?
- How can we compare the costs and benefits of climate policy options?
- How do international climate agreements translate to national or regional climate
policy?
- What are the impacts of greenhouse gas mitigation options on other environmental
problems, such as air pollution or energy security?
Researchers in this research program
-
Impacts, vulnerability and adaptation
- What are the specific impacts of climate change for various regions throughout
the world?
- What makes a country or region vulnerable to climate change?
- How can local knowledge be incorporated in adaptation strategy?
- How do the effects of climate change interact with other stressors, such as globalization?
Researchers in this research program
DIGGING WELLS IN KENYA. Climate change can make it even more difficult to find water.
Researchers at CICERO look at the connections between climate change and water shortage.
(Foto: Bernard Owuor/Amwatta Mullah)