German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU)

The German federal government set up WBGU as an independent, scientific advisory body in 1992 in the run-up to the Rio Earth Summit. 

The Council's principal tasks are to:

  • analyse global environment and development problems and report on these,
  • review and evaluate national and international research in the field of global change,
  • provide early warning of new issue areas,
  • identify gaps in research and to initiate new research,
  • monitor and assess national and international policies for the achievement of sustainable development,
  • elaborate recommendations for action and research and
  • raise public awareness and heighten the media profile of global change issues.

WBGU publishes flagship reports every two years, making its own choice of focal theme. In addition, the German government can commission the Council to prepare special reports and policy papers.

WGBU research focuses on critical changes in the Earth System, identifying ways of mitigating or avoiding related problems, and predicting future trends.


20 December 2016
IIASA leadership at the Earth League Symposium 2017

The Earth League, an IIASA research partner, is an international network of leading scientists working on pressing issues facing humankind today. This year’s annual symposium focused on the ambitions and challenges set out in the Paris climate agreement in 2015. More

19 May 2016
Hans Joachim Schellnhuber

Hans Joachim Schellnhuber is the founding director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and — along with IIASA Director General and CEO Professor Dr. Pavel Kabat and Deputy Director Nebojsa Nakicenovic — was one of 18 prominent international scientists to launch the Earth League. More

04 May 2016
The transformative power of cities

A new report from the German Advisory Council on Global Change examines the trend of urbanization and its implications for sustainability. More

17 September 2014
WBGU Report: Climate protection as a world citizen movement

Civil society must play a key role in the push for a global climate change agreement, according to a new report from the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU). More

08 September 2014
Climate comic now available in English

A comic book on climate change, featuring IIASA Deputy Director General Nebojsa Nakicenovic, is now available in English. More

10 June 2014
Protecting the environment by fighting poverty

Environmental protection and poverty eradication go hand in hand, according to a new policy paper from leading scientists including IIASA researchers. More

13 May 2013
IIASA experts on German science advisory council

IIASA Council Chair Peter Lemke has been appointed, and Deputy Director Nebojsa Nakicenovic has been re-appointed to the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), an independent scientific advisory board to the German government. More

01 March 2013
WBGU comic book on the great transformation

A report by the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) has been adapted as a comic for the first time. IIASA Deputy Director Nebojsa Nakicenovic serves on the WBGU and appears in the comic book. More

07 September 2012
More private investment for sustainable energy: WBGU Report

In order to transform to a system of clean and sustainable energy, Germany and other countries must invest billions in energy transformations. More



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Last edited: 02 December 2015

CONTACT DETAILS

Nebojsa Nakicenovic

Distinguished Emeritus Research Scholar Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions Research Group - Energy, Climate, and Environment Program

WBGU

German Advisory Council on Global Change

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Phone: (+43 2236) 807 0 Fax:(+43 2236) 71 313