Draft:Carl-Friedrich Schleussner

Prof. Dr. Carl Friedrich Schleussner is an Honorary Professor at the Geography Department of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

A physicist by training, his research focuses on climate impacts, climate modelling, statistical analysis of climate data, and science-based policy assessments. He is best known for quantifying the difference in climate impacts between 1.5°C and 2°C of warming.

Career
Schleussner earned his Ph.D. in Climate Physics in 2013 at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research, where he focused on the variability and trend of the North Atlantic ocean circulation in past and future climates.

After completing his Ph.D., Schleussner joined Climate Analytics in 2014 as a Scientific Advisor, where he played a key role in developing biophysical modelling strategies and analysing regional climate impacts under various warming scenarios, including the critical threshold of 1.5°C. He provided scientific support to delegations from Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations in the lead up to, and after the adoption of, the Paris Climate Agreement.

In 2016, he assumed the position of Head of Climate Science and Impacts at Climate Analytics. Schleussner actively engaged in various projects aimed at advancing the understanding of climate change and its societal implications. He developed and led the EMBARK project that focussed on using scenarios to not only project physical changes, but also adaptive capacity and vulnerabilities to truly understand the extent of climate impacts. The implementation of the EMBARK project resulted in his honorary professorship at the Humboldt University.

From 2021 to 2024 he led the European Union research innovation fund’s PROVIDE project to better understand which climate impacts might be reversible, if we temporarily overshoot the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement, and which impacts would constitute permanent environmental change.

Schleussner has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and reports, covering a wide range of topics from climate extreme projections to societal implications of climate change. His work has garnered international recognition, with major news outlets covering his research findings. His work has been drawn on extensively in climate litigation cases, to inform expected climate impacts at different levels of warming. He has also been an expert reviewer of IPCC reports.

In recognition of his contributions to climate science and policy, he was elected as one of Germany's "Top 40 under 40" by Capital Magazine in both 2020 and 2021.