Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC)

The Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC) was established by the Executive Committee of IUGG in 2012 in order to promote the advancement of scientific understanding of climatic and environmental change, to boost research in reducing uncertainties in climate and environmental models, to define criteria for collaborative trans-disciplinary research on climate and environmental change, to fulfill the objectives of IUGG and its associations, to provide an all-Union perspective on climatic and environmental change, and to make available the knowledge and insights developed through scientific research to the benefit of society and planet Earth, including consideration of the science of global change, related vulnerability and impacts, and potential responses.

CCEC provides a focus for IUGG scientific expertise in climate and environment related areas across the breadth of all IUGG disciplines and associations. CCEC enables the breadth of IUGG expertise to be brought to bear at the global level through collaborating with, and underpinning the work of ISC and other international organizations.

It also enables the geographic spread of IUGG expertise to be brought to bear at the local level through involvement with national bodies in the organization of meetings and other activities.

Objectives:

  • To build scientific capacity for responsibly addressing the broad, multi-disciplinary issues involved in climatic and environmental change;
  • To provide useful information, understanding, and support to the public and governmental organizations;
  • To interact and cooperate with outside activities that would benefit from the capabilities and resources of the IUGG Associations; and
  • To strengthen links across the Scientific Associations within IUGG, to build new external links to organizations outside IUGG, to strengthen existing links to external organizations and to promote IUGG’s contribution to global change research.

Learn more about the CCEC:

The 2025 UNESCO Chair-International Forum on Blue Carbon and Sustainable Development (BCSD2025), co-sponsored by the IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC), co-organized by Ocean University of China, University of Portsmouth, and UNESCO Chair in Ocean Governance was opened during May 11-12 in Qingdao, China. Jianping Li, the Chair of the CCEC, is one of the co-chairs of this international forum. The forum brought together approximately 120 participants from 11 countries, including China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, South Korea, Nigeria, Rwanda, Pakistan, and Yemen, comprising experts, scholars, and student representatives. Over the two-day event, attendees focused on the theme of „Blue Carbon and Global-Regional Sustainable Development,“ discussing topics such as blue carbon and climate change, blue governance and ocean health under carbon neutrality, and blue carbon finance. The forum aimed to deepen multilateral exchanges and cooperation, integrate global intellectual resources, and jointly contribute blue solutions to global sustainable development.

The session was held during the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2025 at the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) in Vienna & online from 27 April to 2 May, 2025. As the Chair of the IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC), Jianping Li co-organized it, which aimed to advance the prediction of complex monsoon systems and their global impacts. Presentations were invited on various aspects of monsoon research—including observations, modeling, theoretical studies, field campaigns, and AI/ML applications—to enhance our physical understanding and forecasting capabilities. For further details, please visit the session website.

The three symposia co-organized by the IUGG CCEC were held during Busan IAMAS-IACS-IAPSO (BACO) Joint Assembly 2025 from July 20 to 25, 2025. They are ‘M18-Monsoon systems: variability, processes, predictability, change and extremes’, ‘JMP09-El Niño/Southern Oscillation and its Global and Regional Impacts’, and ‘P04-The Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC)’, respectively. As the Chair of the IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC), Jianping Li co-organized them.

At symposium ‘M18-Monsoon systems: variability, processes, predictability, change and extremes’, Jianping Li served as the lead convener. It was organized with the goal of improving the prediction and projection of monsoon systems by better understanding their variability, dynamics, and physics across scales in a rapidly intensifying climate, and their role in Earth’s energy budget, water cycle, and extreme weather and climate events. Presentations were invited from all areas of monsoon research. See the symposium website for details: https://baco-25.org/new/sub2/sub201.asp

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation, one of the most important drivers on climate variability, has profound climatic, environmental, economical, and societal impacts on both global and regional climate. Symposium JMP09 ‘El Niño/Southern Oscillation and its Global and Regional Impacts’ invited contributions regarding the latest scientific advances on observational, theoretical and modeling studies on: ENSO dynamics, impacts, predictability and prediction, and projected changes and the associated impacts due to projected climate change scenarios. See the symposium website for details: https://baco-25.org/new/sub2/sub201.asp

Symposium P04 ‘The Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC)’ examined the pivotal role of the Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC) in global heat, freshwater, and carbon cycles. It addressed critical uncertainties regarding MOC stability under climate change, particularly the divergence between model projections of gradual decline and potential collapse scenarios. Discussions focused on MOC’s societal impacts—including sea-level rise and extreme weather—and sought to advance understanding through integrated observational, theoretical, and modeling approaches to determine future changes and their timescales. See the symposium website for details: https://baco-25.org/new/sub2/sub202.asp

The session was held during the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) Annual Meeting 2025 in Singapore from 27 July to 1 August, 2025. Jianping Li, as the Chair of the IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC), co-organized it. It addressed how global warming has intensified extreme weather events and their socioeconomic impacts worldwide. Focusing on ocean (ice)-land-atmosphere interactions, the session invited contributions using integrated approaches—including observations, modeling, and AI/ML applications—to advance understanding of extreme weather in northern hemisphere middle and high latitudes. Specific topics included spatio-temporal characteristics, driving processes, long-term changes, and predictability across multiple timescales. Please visit the session website for more detail: https://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2025/public.asp?page=sessions_and_conveners.asp

IUGG is one of IPCC Observer Organizations. Prof. Jianping Li, Chair of CCEC, acts as the IUGG Liaison Officer to the IPCC for the term 2023–2027. In this capacity, he was invited by the IPCC to attend its 62nd Session, held from 24 to 28 February 2025 in Hangzhou, China. During the session, the Panel agreed on the outlines for the three Working Group reports of the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) and the Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage. Please visit the session website for more details: https://www.ipcc.ch/meeting-doc/ipcc-62/

The 2024 International Forum on Pacific Island Countries Response to Climate Change (PICC2024), co-sponsored by the IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC) and the IUGG International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS), organized by Ocean University of China, was held during July 6-7 in Qingdao, China. Jianping Li, the Chair of the CCEC, was one of the co-chairs of this international forum. The forum centered on the theme of climate change response in Pacific Island Countries, and brought together over 100 participants, including experts, scholars, and international student representatives from 10 countries—such as China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, the Republic of Korea, Fiji, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Rwanda, and Afghanistan—as well as renowned scholars, teachers, and students from China. Discussions at the forum revolved around three key topics: the impacts of climate change on the Pacific region, the implications of and adaptive strategies to sea-level rise for island nations, and blue governance in relation to sustainable development in these countries. Experts and scholars from multiple domestic and international universities and organizations delivered insightful presentations.

The 2024 International Forum on Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development (CNSD 2024), co-sponsored by the IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC) and organized by Ocean University of China, was successfully held on November 17, 2024 in Qingdao, China. Jianping Li, the Chair of the CCEC, is one of the co-chairs of this international forum. Focusing on marine carbon neutrality and sustainable development, the event gathered nearly 60 participants from 6 countries, including China, Italy, Spain, the UK, Nigeria, and Rwanda, comprising renowned scholars and students. The experts presented cutting-edge research on the role of oceans as crucial pathways to global sustainable development in the context of carbon neutrality. Presentation topics included the relationship between fishing activities and carbon consumption, sedimentary organic carbon in the Western Mediterranean, carbon dynamics in marginal seas, carbon-free energy research, carbon uptake by macroalgae, decarbonization of the marine economy, and applications of the blue economy in the Pacific region. The successful convening of this forum provided a valuable platform for global experts and scholars to share research outcomes and exchange innovative ideas.

The session was held during the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2024 at the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) in Vienna & online from 14 to 19 April, 2024. Jianping Li, as the Chair of the IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC), co-organized it. This session invited presentations on any aspects of monsoon research in the present-day, future and palaeoclimate periods, involving observations, modelling, attribution, prediction and climate projection. It encompassed a wide range of topics, including theoretical studies, results from field campaigns, and analyses of impacts and extremes. It also featured research on NWP modeling, S2S and decadal forecasting, the latest CMIP6 findings, as well as applications of AI/ML in monsoon studies. Please visit the session website for more details: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU24/session/48794

The two sessions were held during American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting 2024 (AGU24) in Washington D.C, USA, from December 9 to 13, 2024. As the Chair of the IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC), Jianping Li co-organized them.
At session A070 ‘Decadal Climate Variability: Key Processes of Air-Sea Interaction, Mechanisms and Predictability’, Jianping Li served as the lead convener. This session centered on the key processes of air-sea interaction, mechanisms, predictability and prediction in decadal climate variability. It covered a wide range of topics, including ocean dynamic processes, multiscale air-sea-sea ice interactions, processes and inter-basin interactions on decadal timescales and their impacts as well as decadal climate predictability, numerical simulations and prediction. See the session website for details: https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu24/meetingapp.cgi/Session/239648
Session A015 ‘A015-Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Interactions and Extreme Weather and Climate’ employed integrated analysis, measurement, modeling tools, and artificial intelligence/machine learning frameworks. It sought contributions to advance our understanding of extreme weather and climate in the middle and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Topics included their spatio-temporal characteristics and precursor signals; the driving dynamic and thermodynamic processes in ocean(ice)-land-atmosphere system; long-term changes and impacts under past, present, and future climate conditions; as well as predictability and prediction methods across time scales ranging from days to multi-decades. For more information, see the session website: https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu24/meetingapp.cgi/Session/239215

IUGG is one of IPCC Observer Organizations. Prof. Jianping Li, Chair of CCEC, acts as the IUGG Liaison Officer to the IPCC for the term 2023–2027. In this capacity, he has been invited to attend the 60th session of the IPCC in Istanbul, Türkiye, from January 16 to 19, 2024, and the 61st session in Sofia, Bulgaria, from July 27 to August 2, 2024.

At the 60th Session, the delegates reached in a consensus on an ambitious work plan. This plan incorporates contributions from three working groups: the production of a Synthesis Report, a Special Report on Climate Change and Cities, two methodology reports, and updates to technical guidelines on impacts and adaptation. Session website: https://www.ipcc.ch/meeting-doc/ipcc-60/

At the 61st Session, the delegates agreed on some of the critical building blocks for the seventh assessment cycle, including the outlines for a Special Report on Cities and Climate Change and a methodological report on short-lived climate forcers. Session website: https://www.ipcc.ch/meeting-doc/ipcc-61/

The IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC) held its 2023 business meeting on July 13, 2023, during the 28th IUGG General Assembly in Berlin, Germany. Chaired by Jianping Li, the meeting included reports on CCEC activities and finances, as well as updates on associated symposia. Discussions emphasized the need to improve member engagement in decision-making and activity promotion. Proposals included a more structured process for session organization and better collaboration between associations. It was suggested that CCEC focus on two to three key union sessions for 2025 and enhance communication channels. No new officers were elected on site, and further recruitment will be conducted through association networks.

The three symposia co-organized by the CCEC were held during the IUGG General Assembly 2023 in Berlin, Germany from July 11 to 20, 2023. They are ‘U01-Geoscience and Mathematics for Sustainable Development’, ‘M06-Monsoon Systems in Rapid and Intensifying Climate Change and Their Role in Extreme Events’, and ‘M10-El Niño/Southern Oscillation and its Regional and Global Impacts’, respectively.

Symposium U01 ‘Geoscience and Mathematics for Sustainable Development’ was co-organized by the IUGG CCEC and CMG. The conveners are Keith Alverson (CCEC/IAMAS) and Alik Ismail-Zadeh (CMG/IASPEI), and the co-conveners are Tom Beer (CCEC/IAMAS), Roberto Carniel (CMG/IAVCEI), Enamundram Chandrasekhar (CMG/IAGA), Salvatore Grimaldi (CMG/IAHS), Ute Herzfeld (CMG/IACS), Jianping Li (CCEC/IAMAS), Trevor MacDougall (CCEC/IAPSO), Malcolm Sambridge (CMG/IASPEI), Tonie van Dam (CCEC/IAG), Ilya Zaliapin (CMG/IASPEI), respectively. The symposium emphasized the role of mathematics and geophysical sciences in sustainable development. Experts demonstrated their contributions to planetary and societal sustainability. Aligned with UN initiatives on Basic Science and Ocean Science, it united IUGG disciplines. The event highlighted how fundamental Earth System science, monitoring, and modelling are crucial for addressing both global pressures and local developmental challenges. For further details, please refer to the symposium website: https://www.iugg2023berlin.org/980-2/

Symposium M06 ‘Monsoon Systems in Rapid and Intensifying Climate Change and Their Role in Extreme Events’ addressed major monsoon system transformations under accelerating climate change. These changes intensified water and energy cycles, leading to more extreme weather. Altered precipitation patterns increased the severity of floods and droughts, with significant societal impacts. The symposium emphasized that understanding monsoon dynamics was crucial for improving predictions. It invited presentations across all areas of monsoon science, including observation, theory, modelling, and forecasting. For more information, please visit the website: https://www.iugg2023berlin.org/919-2/

Symposium M10 focuses El Niño/Southern Oscillation and its Regional and Global Impacts. ENSO, a key climate variability driver with global impacts, shows evolving characteristics like frequency and teleconnections. Its response to warming remains uncertain, prompting diverse projections. This symposium M10 showcased recent advances in ENSO dynamics, impacts, predictability, and projected changes under future climate scenarios. Please visit the conference website for more detail: https://www.iugg2023berlin.org/919-2/

The 5th Congress of China Geodesy and Geophysics (CCGG), organized by the Chinese National Committee for the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (CNC-IUGG), was successfully held at Wuhan University in Wuhan, China, from April 21 to 23, 2023. As Vice President of the CNC-IUGG and Chair of the IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC), Jianping Li co-organized the congress. Centered on the theme “Earth System Sciences and Large River Sustainable Development”, the conference featured a wide range of topics, including the cryosphere, geodesy, geomagnetism and aeronomy, hydrological sciences, meteorology and atmospheric sciences, physical oceanography, seismology and physics of the Earth’s interior, volcanology and chemistry of the Earth’s interior, as well as interdisciplinary sciences related to these fields. The event attracted over 3,900 participants. For additional details, please visit the congress website: https://ccgg2023.scievent.com/

The 2023 International Forum on Pacific Island Countries Response to Climate Change (PICC2023), organized by Ocean University of China and co-sponsored by the IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC), was held in Qingdao, China, from October 21 to 22, 2023. The forum was co-chaired by Prof. Jianping Li, Chair of the CCEC. Focusing on climate change responses in the Pacific Island countries, the forum brought together over 100 participants, including experts, scholars, and international student representatives from more than ten countries such as China, the United States, Canada, Solomon Islands, the Republic of Korea, Tuvalu, Australia, and France, alongside distinguished domestic academics, educators, and students. Discussions centered on three key themes: the impact of climate change on the Pacific region, the effects of rising sea levels on island nations and their responses, and blue governance and sustainable development for island countries. Seizing this international academic platform, Chinese and foreign experts and scholars engaged in thorough deliberations on harnessing the ocean’s positive role in climate action, thereby contributing valuable insights and momentum to the sustainable development of Pacific Island countries.

The session was held both at the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) and online from 23 to 28 April 2023, as part of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2023. Jianping Li, as the Chair of the IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC), co-organized it. The session solicited presentations covering all aspects of monsoon research across present-day, future, and paleoclimate periods, including observation, modelling, attribution, prediction, and climate projection. Invited topics spanned from theoretical works based on idealized planets and ITCZ frameworks to the latest field campaign results, as well as research on climate impacts, extremes, NWP modelling, S2S and decadal forecasting, and the latest CMIP6 findings. Further details are available on the session website: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU23/session/46801

Jianping Li, Chair of the IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC), was invited by the IPCC to participate in the Workshop as an expert. Held at the UNESCAP Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand from 25 to 27 April 2023, the workshop aimed to achieve three main objectives: 1) to advance the scientific agenda associated with scenario development and use with attention to overall scenario architecture; 2) to consider ways of further enhancing cross-Working Group collaboration; and 3) to consider institutional aspects, including the relationship between IPCC and relevant IPCC bodies such as World Climate Research Program (WCRP) and Integrated Assessment Modelling Consortium (IAMC), and resourcing issues. Please visit the website for more details: https://www.ipcc.ch/event/ipcc-workshop-on-the-use-of-scenarios-in-the-sixth-assessment-report-and-subsequent-assessments/

This meeting was held online on April 23, 2022. Attendees included Jianping Li, Keith Alverson, and Tom Beer. The themes included website status and plans, discussion on CUP and Springer, IUGG congress session status and plans, IUGG elections (including but not limited to CCEC leadership), and the CCEC proposal for the International Year of Basic Sciences in Sustainable Development.

The session was held during the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2022 at the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) in Vienna & online from 23 to 27 May 2022. Co-organized by Jianping Li in his role as Chair of the IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC), the session invited presentations on all aspects of monsoon research in present-day, future and palaeoclimate periods, involving observations, modelling, attribution, prediction, and climate projection. Invited topics spanned from theoretical works based on idealized planets and ITCZ frameworks to the latest field campaign results, and also encompassed research on climate impacts, extremes, NWP modelling, S2S and decadal forecasting, as well as the latest CMIP6 findings. For more information, please visit the website: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU22/session/43913

This meeting was held online on December 19, 2022, to discuss the organization of the IUGG U01 session. The attendees included Jianping Li, lsmail-Zadeh Alik, Keith Alverson, and Llia Zaliapin. Key discussion themes involved ranking the proposed speakers and selecting the top 9 of them, as well as ranking the proposed panelists and selecting the top 3 of them. Additionally, the participants discussed travel support and decided to allocate funds from both CCEC and CMI into a joint pool to support invited individuals. The meeting also covered the process for inviting the selected participants.

Contact Information:

The following are current officers of the Commission:

Chair: Jianping Li (China)
Secretary: Tonie van Dam (Luxembourg)