Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)

Advancing the scientific frontier and contributing solutions for a safe and just climate future

Advancing the scientific frontier on inter-disciplinary climate impact research for global sustainability and contributing knowledge and solutions for a safe and just climate future  – this is the twofold mission of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), a member of the Leibniz Association and a leader in its field. PIK integrates the latest understanding of the Earth system with the assessment of climate risks, and with the exploration of policies and pathways towards a manageable climate future. A guiding framework for PIK’s research is therefore the integration of Planetary Boundaries and Global Commons. The institute in a unique way combines research across disciplines and scales with solution orientation, emphasizing that societal relevance is based on scientific excellence.

With its more than 300 staff from all over the world, PIK contributes knowledge to the global scientific community by way of publications in high-ranking peer-reviewed international journals and engagement in numerous partnerships and networks. Its main methods are integrated and complex systems analysis and data integration; numerical simulations are run on our own super computer. The institute also actively provides insights to decision-makers in policy, business, and society as a whole.

Latest news and articles

Meet the Catalytic Grant Winners from the COP27 Resilience Hub

Four teams will be awarded with a $5000 USD grant. The award is a joint effort from Climate Justice Resilience Fund (CJRF), Global Resilience Partnership (GRP), and International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).

Trees of hope: How Kurna people planted trees to adapt to the climate crisis

The members of the Kurna Community are addressing climate change impacts by using nature-based solutions such as afforestation. This is the twelfth of the ‘Voices from the Frontline (Phase-II)’ stories by ICCCAD and GRP.

Challenging established practices in the coffee industry

Coffee is one of the world’s most traded commodities, but many smallholder farmers struggle to access profitable markets. In Uganda, Mountain Harvest is working together with farmers to change this.

Promoting Indigenous Knowledge to strengthen community led adaptation 

Smallholder farmers in the Umzingwane district from the southern part of Zimbabwe are taking up locally-led initiatives and indigenous knowledge to adapt to unpredictable climate patterns. This is the eleventh of the ‘Voices from the Frontline (Phase-II)’ stories by ICCCAD and GRP.

From debt cycle to self-resilience: A Story from the small village of Datinakhali

In Datinakhali, Bangladesh, a cooperative savings fund is helping local women diversify their livelihoods to adapt to climate change. This is the tenth of the ‘Voices from the Frontline (Phase-II)’ stories by ICCCAD and GRP.