POTSDAM-INSTITUT FUR KLIMAFOLGENFORSCHUNG EV

Their core work

PIK is one of Europe's leading climate research institutes, specializing in climate impact assessment, integrated assessment modelling, and Earth system science. They quantify how climate change affects societies, economies, and ecosystems — and model pathways for mitigation and adaptation. Their work bridges physical climate science with policy-relevant analysis, producing the scenarios and projections that inform European and global climate policy. They increasingly focus on tipping points, negative emissions, and climate-driven migration as critical emerging risks.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2018), PIK focused on foundational climate modelling and low-carbon pathway assessment — projects like CD-LINKS, INNOPATHS, and CRESCENDO centred on integrated assessment, adaptation strategies, and Earth system projections. From 2019 onward, their work shifted markedly toward tipping points (TiPES, TiPACCs), negative emissions and climate neutrality (NEGEM, NAVIGATE), citizen science engagement, and climate-driven migration (HABITABLE, ClimateMigration2050). This evolution reflects a move from understanding climate change to modelling its most extreme consequences and the societal transformations needed to respond.

PIK is moving toward high-stakes, policy-urgent topics — tipping points, climate-forced migration, and net-zero pathways — making them an increasingly valuable partner for projects addressing systemic climate risks and just transitions.

How they like to work

PIK operates predominantly as an active partner (30 of 38 projects), but takes the coordinator role in strategically important efforts — notably CASCADES (cascading risks, EUR 1.4M) and NAVIGATE (next-generation integrated assessment, EUR 1.07M). With 387 unique consortium partners across 59 countries, they function as a major hub in European climate research, connecting diverse institutions rather than working repeatedly with the same few. This breadth signals an organization comfortable in large, multidisciplinary consortia and well-positioned to bridge disciplines within a project.

PIK has collaborated with 387 unique partners across 59 countries, making it one of the most extensively networked climate research institutes in Europe. Their reach extends well beyond the EU into global partnerships, reflecting the inherently global nature of climate science.

What sets them apart

PIK sits at the rare intersection of physical climate science, economic modelling, and policy analysis — few institutes can run both Earth system models and integrated assessment models under one roof. Their dual capacity to quantify physical tipping points AND translate them into economic and migration scenarios makes them uniquely valuable for projects that need end-to-end climate intelligence. For consortium builders, PIK brings immediate credibility with reviewers, an unmatched network of 387 partners, and the modelling infrastructure to deliver on ambitious work programmes.

Highlights from their portfolio

• TiPES
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 1.48M) studying tipping points in the Earth system — reflects PIK's deep investment in understanding irreversible climate thresholds.
• CASCADES
  PIK-coordinated project (EUR 1.41M) on cascading climate risks across borders — demonstrates their leadership in connecting climate science to foreign policy and security.
• NAVIGATE
  PIK-coordinated effort to build next-generation integrated assessment models (EUR 1.07M) — positions them at the centre of the tools that shape EU climate policy.