CICERO SENTER FOR KLIMAFORSKNING

Their core work

CICERO (Center for International Climate Research) is Norway's leading independent climate research institute, producing policy-relevant science on climate change impacts, mitigation pathways, and carbon cycle dynamics. They specialize in translating complex climate modelling and emissions data into actionable evidence for policymakers and sector-specific decision-makers across energy, health, and disaster risk management. Their work spans from constraining climate projections and verifying greenhouse gas inventories to assessing the health and economic costs of climate change — including heat stress, air pollution, and cardiopulmonary disease.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2016–2018), CICERO focused heavily on energy policy — consumer behaviour, energy labelling, wind energy acceptance, and seasonal energy forecasting. From 2019 onward, their portfolio shifted decisively toward climate science fundamentals: climate sensitivity, earth system modelling, carbon cycle feedbacks, and Paris Agreement compliance. Simultaneously, they carved out a distinctive niche in climate-health linkages, coordinating two projects connecting climate change to cardiopulmonary disease, heat stress, and air pollution mortality.

CICERO is converging on climate-health science and Paris Agreement overshoot scenarios — expect them to pursue projects linking climate projections directly to public health outcomes and adaptation planning.

How they like to work

CICERO operates overwhelmingly as a consortium participant (18 of 21 projects), contributing deep climate science expertise to large multi-partner research actions rather than leading them. Their two coordinator roles — both in climate-health — suggest this is where they feel confident enough to lead. With 233 unique partners across 43 countries, they are a highly networked hub organization that connects broadly rather than working with a fixed set of repeat collaborators.

Exceptionally broad network spanning 233 unique consortium partners across 43 countries, reflecting CICERO's role as a go-to climate science partner for European and global research consortia. Their reach extends well beyond Scandinavia into Southern and Eastern Europe, making them a strong bridge between Nordic and pan-European research communities.

What sets them apart

CICERO occupies a rare position as an independent, policy-oriented climate research institute — not embedded in a university, giving them agility and credibility as a neutral science voice. Their distinctive strength is bridging climate modelling with real-world impacts (health, energy, trade), making them uniquely valuable for projects that need to connect physical climate science to societal outcomes. For consortium builders, CICERO brings both deep technical modelling capability and a strong track record of translating science into policy-relevant evidence.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EXHAUSTION
  Their largest project as coordinator (EUR 1.5M), directly linking climate change and air pollution to cardiopulmonary health outcomes and economic costs across Europe.
• CRiceS
  Substantial contribution (EUR 750K) to polar climate science — studying sea ice, snow-atmosphere coupling, and polar-to-global teleconnections in the earth system.
• CONSTRAIN
  Major role (EUR 726K) in reducing uncertainty in multi-decadal climate projections, tackling cloud feedbacks and climate sensitivity — foundational for all climate policy.