European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change

What is the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change?

The European Climate Law, adopted in June 2021, sets out a binding objective of climate neutrality in the European Union by 2050 in pursuit of the long-term temperature goal set out in the Paris Agreement. It also provides a framework for achieving progress in pursuit of the global adaptation goal established in the Paris Agreement.

To support the achievement of these objectives, the European Climate Law also provides for the establishment of a European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change (the ‘Advisory Board’). The Advisory Board provides independent scientific advice and produces reports on EU measures, climate targets and indicative greenhouse gas budgets and their coherence with the European Climate Law and the EU's international commitments under the Paris Agreement.

What is the Advisory Board working on?

The Advisory Board adopted its work programme for the year 2023 on 20 December 2022. In accordance with the European Climate Law, this work programme was established independently, and when doing so the Advisory Board consulted the EEA Management Board.

The main activities outlined in the 2023 work programme are the following:

• Input to the proposal of a 2040 target and 2030-2050 greenhouse gas budget
• Input to the Commission’s assessment of progress and policy consistency
• Supporting the implementation of legislative files of the Fit for 55 package
• Further input to the EU’s energy network development planning process (TEN-E)
• Exploring sectorial mitigation solutions in the agriculture sector, with links to the forestry sector and to adaptation
• Exploring options to enhance carbon dioxide removals in the EU
• Assessing progress and policy consistency on climate adaptation
• Engaging with experts and stakeholders

The Advisory Board's 2023 work programme is available here (and the 2022 work programme here).

The Advisory Board has published the following advice:

• Towards a climate-neutral and climate-resilient EU energy infrastructure: recommendations to ACER (14.11.2022)
• Setting climate targets based on scientific evidence and EU values: initial recommendations to the European Commission (16.01.2023)
• Addressing the energy crisis while delivering on EU’s climate objectives: recommendations to policy makers (07.02.2023)
• Towards a decarbonised and climate-resilient EU energy infrastructure: recommendations on an energy system-wide cost-benefit analysis (15.03.2023)

To support the preparation of its forthcoming advice on the EU 2040 greenhouse gas target, the Advisory Board has also published an emissions scenario database consisting of national and European emissions scenarios submitted in response to a call for data.

Who are the members of the Advisory Board?

The Advisory Board is composed of 15 senior scientific experts covering a broad range of relevant disciplines. They are appointed in a personal capacity for a term of four years, renewable once. They give their positions completely independently of the EU Member States and the EU institutions. No more than two members of the Advisory Board can hold the nationality of the same Member State.

The 15 members of the Advisory Board are (Chair, followed by alphabetical order): 

• Ottmar Edenhofer, Technische Universität in Berlin (Chair)
• Jette Bredahl Jacobsen, University of Copenhagen (Vice-Chair)
• Laura Díaz Anadón, University of Cambridge (Vice-Chair)
• Maarten van Aalst, University of Twente
• Constantinos Cartalis, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
• Suraje Dessai, University of Leeds
• Vera Eory, Scotland’s Rural College
• Edgar Hertwich, Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim
• Lena Kitzing, Technical University of Denmark
• Elena López-Gunn, ICATALIST
• Lars J. Nilsson, Lund University
• Keywan Riahi, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
• Joeri Rogelj, Grantham Institute of the Imperial College London
• Nicolaas Schrijver, Leiden University
• Jean-Francois Soussana, French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment

See short bios of the members of the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change.

What is the link between the Advisory Board and the European Environment Agency?

The Advisory Board is independent from Member States and EU institutions. It is established through an amendment of the founding regulation of the European Environment Agency (EEA). It is supported in its work by a secretariat hosted by the EEA. When establishing its annual work programme, the Advisory Board consults the EEA Management Board.

How were the members of the Advisory Board designated?

The 15 members of the Advisory Board were designated by the EEA Management Board on 24 March 2022, following an open, fair and transparent selection procedure.

The EEA issued a call with the aim of designating the members of the Advisory Board from 27 September until 1 November 2021. An Evaluation Committee was then established by the EEA Management Board to identify the most suitable candidates for the Advisory Board established under the European Climate Law. The Evaluation Committee provided recommendations to the EEA Management Board on conclusion of the evaluation process. The EEA Management Board discussed the report from the Evaluation Committee and, based on the Evaluation Committee’s recommendations, designated the members of the Advisory Board.

Image source: © Roberto Bueno, REDISCOVER Nature /EEA