"Germany generally faces a high level of expectation when it comes to climate policy," Hendricks said with reference to other countries. "I believe that Germany has a moral and ethical obligation in this regard - we should act because we can." She also stressed "the high level of respect that research findings by PIK scientists receive". Schellnhuber said that his institute would be delighted to "lend support by providing advice." It would also like to contribute to "rendering the current debate more rational." Recently, this debate has been partly shaped by ideological influences, even though science has provided clear findings.
Stefan Rahmstorf, head of the research domain Earth System Analysis, presented recent developments in climate change research. He pointed out that if global warming were to exceed 1 to 3° Celsius, it would trigger a gradual but irreversible melting of Greenland’s ice sheets. The global mean temperature has already increased by about 0.8° Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. Hermann Lotze-Campen, head of the research domain Climate Impacts and Vulnerabilities, explained the consequences and risks of climate change in Germany. He also introduced the website, Klimafolgenonline.com, which makes a broad range of data sets for Germany available to the general public. Ulrike Kornek from the research domain Sustainable Solutions presented policy options for achieving the two-degree target and with regard to the energy transition in Germany.
