Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS)

Networking knowledge. Making knowledge usable. Communicating information.

The link between climate research and the users of climate research in Germany is to be strengthened by a new, expert body - the "Climate Service Center 2.0(CS2.0)". It was set up in Hamburg in 2009 as a Federal Government initiative. The development phase was funded by the BMBF. In order that climate system research findings can become a strong basis for decision making and applications in a very broad practical spectrum, there is a major requirement to provide advice on making practical use of climate data. The High-Tech Strategy on Climate Protection has, therefore, made the improving of information and advice options a key objective. With the establishment of the 'Climate Service Center 2.0', a platform is being created which will develop a new generation of information and advice offerings in order to bridge the gap, in a carefully considered way, between climate research and the users of climate data. The CS2.0 has close links with both research and existing key providers of climate information. It is a national service centre where findings from climate system research are bundled, processed and made available where needed so that they can feed into planning, decision-making and investment processes. In turn, the CS2.0 can provide new stimuli to academia in areas where, in terms of applying climate data, there is a need for further research. On behalf of the BMBF the organisational unit Environment, Culture, Sustainability in the German Aerospace Center Project Management Agency (PT-DLR) attends functionally and administrative to the Climate Service Center 2.0.
Prof. Guy Brasseur and mayor Christoph Ahlhaus in front of "Klimaglobus"© DKRZ Deutsches Klimarechenzentrum

In order for the results of climate research to become a meaningful basis for decisions and applications in very different areas of practice, there is a considerable need for advice with regard to the practical use of climate data. In the high-tech strategy, the federal government had therefore declared the improvement of information and advice to be a central task. With the Climate Service Center, a platform has been created that develops a new generation of information and advice services in order to bridge the gap between climate research and the users of climate data in a carefully thought-out manner.

The Climate Service Center was funded by the BMBF from 06/01/2009 to 05/31/2014 as start-up funding and successfully set up at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG).
During this time, the new facility has developed methods and concepts for the successful establishment of a Climate Service Center. The following essential factors proved to be important for the role as a national service provider:

  • Credible independence of the institution
  • Close connection to science
  • Need to match customer requirements with available consulting products
  • Need to customize consulting products to clients

At the same time, concrete climate services were developed and provided:

  • National and international networks of institutions in the field of climate change were set up to network and synthesize climate knowledge. The most important product is the portal Klimanavigator, in which more than 60 partners are involved.
  • The knowledge and information required for climate advice was determined with detailed needs analyzes and a web-based inquiry service.
  • Demand-oriented products and services were developed in order to be able to offer a portfolio of innovative methods, tools and prototypical products. Regional climate simulations were carried out as a basis for this. Products developed from this include, for example, the Climate-Fact-Sheets (standardized climate information for regions and countries), the series of "Climate Focus Papers" (e.g. on sea-level rise), and the "Stadtbaukasten" as a consulting tool for climate adaptation in cities.

With the end of the BMBF project funding, i.e. from June 1st, 2014, it was institutionalized as an independent scientific organizational unit of the HZG (today: Helmholtz-Zentrum hereon GmbH) in the Helmholtz Association (HGF) under the new name Climate Service Center 2.0. Since July 20, 2015, the facility has been operating under the new name Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) and is based in Hamburg's Chilehaus. The existence of this national service facility at the interface between science and application is thus secured as an elementary building block for climate adaptation in Germany. This will continue to make an important contribution to increasing adaptation in Germany. In the meantime, the Climate Service Center has established itself as an important partner: it develops new prototypes for climate services and works in close cooperation with science and with practical partners from politics, business and administration.

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