Theme
Climate Change Risks And Development At Crossroads-Sharing Lessons

Background
This development knowledge conference is intended to break the huge barriers that have existed amongst potential stakeholders over the years. It represents a call for state and non-state actors from industry including manufacturing and ICT, private businesses, and civil society to join researchers in Accra to pursue a new partnership agenda on threats posed to humanity by climate change. We believe that Energy usage (including electricity, fuel, mechanisation, etc) is a uniting factor when it comes to climate change because the whole of society depends on some form of energy to develop.

This first "Open European Day" is dedicated to capacity building for urban stakeholders and focusses on city to city learning. It benefits from the world-wide exchange between climate change and resilience scientists and regional and local governments at the Bonn Resilient Cities conference 31 May – 2 June. Participants will not only learn from good examples, but are encouraged to share their challenges and find solutions by exchanging with colleagues and by targeted input by experts on urban practice and applied resilience science.

The Open European Day coincides with the final conference of ‘EU Cities Adapt’, a key project on urban adaptation in Europe, financed by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Climate Action). In this project 21 European cities – in different stages of working on adaptation - have worked together towards well-informed and enhanced actions on climate change adaptation. The experience of these cities on their challenges and solutions provides a unique source of inspiration which they will share at the conference.

Am 3. Juni 2013 wird in der Berlin-Brandenburgi­schen Akademie der Wissenschaften die Auftakt­veranstaltung zu dem von der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft ins Leben gerufenen Schwerpunktprogramm »Climate Engineering: Risks, Challenges, Opportunities?« stattfinden. Mit dem stark interdisziplinär ausgerichteten Schwerpunktprogramm soll in den nächsten sechs Jahren die Bewertung von Climate Engineering erforscht werden.
Unter dem Begriff Climate Engineering werden verschiedene großskalige technische Eingriffe in unser Klimasystem als 
zu­sätzliche Option im Kampf gegen den anthropogenen Klima­wandel diskutiert. Hintergrund dieser Verfahren sind Befürchtungen, dass die Eindämmung des Klimawandels nicht gelingt und Anpassungsmaßnahmen an den Klimawandel nicht ausrei­chen könnten. Aber wie wirksam sind die diskutierten Maß­nahmen? Und wie wirken sie sich auf andere Systeme wie den Ozean, einzelne Naturräume oder die Lebensbedingungen in verschiedenen Regionen aus? Nur wer die Möglichkeiten, Auswirkungen und Risiken von Climate Engineering kennt, kann fundiert Stellung beziehen. Und eine Stellungnahme ist nötig, denn das Thema Climate Engineering beeinflusst schon heute die inter­nationalen Klimaver­hand­lungen.

Prof. Andreas Oschlies vom GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum 
für Ozeanforschung Kiel, Initiator und Koordinator des Programmes, wird auf der Auftaktveranstaltung die Ziele und Methoden des Forschungsprogrammes vorstellen. Anschlie­ßend wird das Kon­zept auf dem Podium diskutiert.
Neben Prof. Andreas Oschlies sind die Sprachwissenschaft­lerin Prof. Nina Janich von der Technischen Universität Darmstadt, der Politikwissenschaftler Prof. Sebastian Harnisch von der Universität Heidelberg, der Rechtswissenschaftler Prof. 
Alexander Proelß von der Universität Trier, Christoph Bals von Germanwatch e.V. sowie der SPD-Bundestags­abge­ordnete René Röspel vertreten. Durch den Abend leitet der Wissenschaftsjournalist Max Rauner (Die Zeit).

The New Zealand Climate Change Centre (NZCCC) is holding the New Zealand Climate Change Conference 2013 in Palmerston North on the 4th and 5th of June.

This conference brings together researchers from across New Zealand, showcasing the latest climate change research thinking and outputs. Including pysical science, adaption, mitigation and cross-cutting issues.

Aim:

Climate change research underpins or touches on many aspects of society. The invited plenary speakers and the research papers we expect to be presented at this conference will provide an excellent overview of New Zealand knowledge. The conference will also provide a platform for discussion of knowledge gaps and of needs for further work, and will be an opportunity for building new relationships between researchers, across organisations, and with end-users.

Our conference theme and sub-themes will provide the opportunity to consider challenges the research and end users communities face when dealing with climate change. The New Zealand Climate Change Centre (NZCCC) and the conference committee invites interested attendees to submit an abstract for a presentation or poster on recently completed or in-train research under the following four themes:

• The Physical Science
• Impacts Adaptation & Vulnerability
• Mitigation
• Integration & Cross-cutting Issues

Keynote speakers and panel discussions will help drive forward the conference narrative. Beyond the formal conference programme, ample time will be available for casual discussions.

Whilst the conference will primarily appeal to New Zealand’s broad climate change research community it will also appeal to industry, government and members of the public interested in the latest climate change research.

In summary, the conference will:

1. Provide a platform for researchers from across New Zealand and overseas to present climate change-related research
2. Raise awareness of recently completed, current and future work programmes
3. Explore and encourage research that is conducted across multiple disciplines
4. Improve collegial relationships in a formal and informal conference setting
5. Identify ‘who does what’ in New Zealand’s climate change community
6. Encourage student participation and increase their exposure to professional New Zealand-based colleagues and organisations
7. Help consider gaps in New Zealand’s climate change research and explore future opportunities for New Zealand’s climate change researchers.

Die Fachtagung soll mit ihrem bewährten Workshop-Charakter Wissenschaftler und Praktiker aus verschiedenen Disziplinen zusammenführen und aktuelle Forschungsthemen der Energiemeteorologie im Dreieck Meteorologie, Energieforschung und Energiewirtschaft diskutieren. Die diesjährige Fachtagung ist gleichzeitig die Gründungsveranstaltung des neuen Fachausschusses 'Energiemeteorologie'
der Deutschen Meteorologischen Gesellschaft (DMG).

Themen der Tagung:

• Solar- und Windleistungsvorhersagen: Neue Ansätze und praktische Erfahrungen
• Strömungsmodellierung in Windparks, insbesondere an Offshore-Standorten und in komplexem Gelände
• Spezifische Solarstrahlungsinformation wie z.B. spektral aufgelöste Strahlung oder Direktnormalstrahlung
• Ausgleichswirkungen kombinierter Solar- und Windenergieerzeugung
• Rückwirkungen der Nutzung erneuerbarer Energien auf das regionale Klima
• Meteorologische Information in der Simulation erneuerbarer Energiesysteme
• Ressourcenbestimmung weiterer erneuerbarer Energien wie Wasserkraft und Bioenergie
• Aktuelle Forschungsentwicklungen in der Meteorologie mit Relevanz für den Energiesektor
• Weiterentwicklung der wissenschaftlichen Community 'Energiemeteorologie'
• Energiemeteorologie in der akademischen Lehre

The 2013 edition of Green Week, the biggest annual conference on European environment policy, will take place from 4 to 7 June at a new venue, The Egg Conference Center in Brussels. This year's theme is Air quality. 

Despite progress in recent years, several air quality standards are still widely exceeded in the EU's most densely populated areas, especially from pollutants such as particulate matter, ground-level ozone, and nitrogen dioxide. 2013 will be a year in which the Commission's current air policy is reviewed, with a focus on finding ways to improve the quality of the air we breathe. 

Green Week offers a unique opportunity for debate and exchanges of experience and best practice. Over the past decade, the conference has established itself as an unmissable event for anyone involved with protecting the environment. The 2012 edition attracted some 3.100 participants from government, business and industry, non-governmental organisations, academia and the media. 

Green Week is open to the public and participation is free of charge.

Green Week also has an area for exhibitors. Applications for a stand are open now.

Applications for satellite events are also open now. Registration for participation will be open from 21st February on this site

Climate change poses a major challenge to governments, industry and society. Since international negotiations on the control of greenhouse gas emissions have so far not led to an agreement that is able to avoid dangerous climate change, researchers, governments, and actors in civil society have started to consider, among other things, new options that could support the mitigation of climate change. Carbon capture and storage and climate engineering, including both carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and solar radiation management (SRM), are prominent options considered. Before testing or implementing any of these options, the economic, social, ethical and technical aspects as well as the associated risks need to be evaluated. The summer school aims to provide information on the current state of developments in the field of climate engineering covering a variety of disciplines.

 The list of speakers includes Edward Parson ( UCLA), Sebastian Harnisch (University of Heidelberg), Klaus Lackner (Earth Institute, Columbia University), Thomas Leisner (KIT, Karlsruhe), Andreas Oschlies (GEOMAR Kiel), Christopher Preston ( University of Montana), Alexander Proelss (University of Trier), and Wilfried Rickels (Kiel Institute). 

The Summer School  addresses PhD students and researchers from various disciplines, as well as members of policy institutions.

Weitere Informationen/further informations: DKK-Bildungsdatenbank/DKK-StudyClimate database

BALTEX, das internationale Forschungsnetzwerk für den Ostseeraum, geht auf dieser Konferenz nach 20 erfolgreichen Jahren zu ende. Zugleich wird auf der Konferenz eine Nachfolgeorganisation aus der Taufe gehoben, die in die Fußstapfen von BALTEX treten soll. Das Konferenzprogramm umfasst Beiträge aus der aktuellen Forschung in Meteorologie, Hydrologie, Ozeanografie, Klimaforschung und Biogeochemie im Ostseeraum, sowie Rückblicke auf 20 Jahre BALTEX-Forschung und Ausblicke auf zukünftige Herausforderungen.

Deutschland will das globale Klima schützen und sich gleichzeitig an unvermeidbare Klimafolgen anpassen. Zudem sind die sozialen und ökologischen Ziele einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung weiterhin Treiber für zukunftsorientierte Politik und Forschung.

Klimaschutz, Klimaanpassung, Nachhaltigkeit – Wie können diese Forschungsfelder zukünftig noch stärker verschränkt werden, um Impulse für ein nachhaltiges und klimarobustes Deutschland zu entwickeln? Wie sieht die Forschungsagenda der nächsten Jahre dafür aus? Um diese Fragen zu beantworten, stellt die Forschungskonferenz die Anpassungsforschung in Bezug zu Nachhaltigkeit und den Zielen einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung.

Zur Diskussion von Forschungsbedarfen und -methoden lädt das Umweltbundesamt Akteure der Klimaanpassungs- und Nachhaltigkeitsforschung am 11. und 12. Juni 2013 nach Dessau ein. Die Forschungskonferenz wird die Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer aktiv in die Vorbereitung der Konferenz einbeziehen. Konzeption und Durchführung wird das Institut für ökologische Wirtschaftsforschung (IÖW) übernehmen.

Over the past several years the topic of hurricanes and climate change has received considerable attention by scientists, the insurance industry, and the media. Building on the successful three summits on the topic of hurricanes and climate change, we are organizing the 4th summit scheduled for June 13-18, 2013 in Kos, Greece. The purpose is to bring together leading academics and researchers on various sides of the debate and from all over the world to discuss new research and express opinions about what is happening and what might happen in the future with regard to regional and global hurricane (tropical cyclone) activity. The goals are to address what research is needed to advance the science of hurricane climate and to provide a venue for encouraging a lively, spirited, and sustained exchange of ideas.

Recent research shows that tropical cyclones are more powerful than in the past with the most dramatic increases occurring over the North Atlantic and with the strongest hurricanes. Although such increases are correlated with warming oceans and are consistent with the thermodynamic theory of hurricane intensity, there remains doubt about the interpretation, integrity, and meaning of these results.

Thus leading scientists from around the world will present their latest research and participate in discussions on this topic. Invited speakers will be required to stay for the duration of the summit (4 days). All sessions will be plenary. An important part of the summit will be follow-up discussions during coffee breaks and meals to exchange opinions and ideas. 

Professor James B. Elsner is in charge of the scientific program for the Summit.

Topic keywords include: hurricane & climate theory; historical, paleo & modern data; empirical, statistical & dynamical models; intensity, frequency, size, paths, landfalls & rainfall, damage & losses; trends & cycles; hurricanes as a response to climate & hurricanes as forcing for climate. The intellectual merit of the summit is the likelihood of a significant advance in our understanding of climate processes associated with tropical cyclone activity. The broader impacts will be a better understanding of the future hurricane threat to the United States, Caribbean, Japan and elsewhere.