Second Austrian Assessment Report on Climate Change


The report summarises the current state of research, analyses the consequences of climate change, and presents options for action in Austria. Eleven researchers from the Institute of Social Ecology contributed to the report, including Karlheinz Erb and Barbara Smetschka, who acted as coordinating lead authors.

Federal Minister Norbert Totschnig presented the Second Austrian Assessment Report on Climate Change (AAR2) at a press conference on the 17th of June 2025. It is the most comprehensive scientific analysis of the current state of knowledge regarding climate change and its consequences in Austria. More than 200 scientists worked on the report, eleven researchers from the Institute of Social Ecology contributed to the following chapters:


Chapter 1
Physical and ecological manifestation of climate change in Austria
Coordinating Lead Authors: Herbert Formayer, Juraj Parajka, Jana Petermann

Lead Authors: Andreas Baumgarten, Benedikt Becsi, Stefan Dullinger, Stephan Glatzel, Andreas Gobiet, Martin Kainz, Gregor Laaha, Manfred Lexer, Douglas Maraun, Lindsey Nicholson, Marc Olefs, Christine Stumpp, Christian Zangerl

Contributing Authors: Birgit Bednar-Friedl, Sven Fuchs, Manfred Ganekind, Katharina Gangl, Veronika Gaube, Sarah Haider-Nash, Susanne Hanger-Kopp, Klaus Haslinger, Johann Hiebl, Martin Jury, Roland Kaitna, Margreth Keiler, Stefan Kienberger, Konrad Mayer, Albert Osso Castillon, Stefanie Peer, Georg Pistotnik, Thomas Schinko, Jan Steinhauser, Anna-Maria Tilg


Chapter 2
Climate change, land use, ecosystem services and health
Coordinating Lead Authors: Karlheinz Erb, Ulrike Tappeiner, Wilfried Winiwarter

Lead Authors: Christian Fritz, Simone Gingrich, Susanne Hanger-Kopp, Hans-Peter Hutter, Jochen Kantelhardt, Hanns Moshammer,  Nicolas Roux, Lena Schaller, Günther Schauberger, Martin Schönhart, Uta Schirpke, Adelheid Spiegel, Harald Vacik

Mitwirkende Autor*innen: Katharina Brugger, Brigitta Hollosi, Hans-Peter Kaul, Georg Kindermann, Christian Lauk, Andreas Magerl, Marianne Penker, Erich Tasser, Matthias Zessner-Spitzenberg, Werner Zollitsch


Chapter 4
Provision of goods and services in a climate-resilient economy via materials, energy and work
Coordinating Lead Authors: Thomas Schinko, Barbara Smetschka, Karl Steininger

Lead Authors: Ernest Aigner, Gabriel Bachner, Katharina Bohnenberger, Anna Burton, Oliver Fritz, Willi Haas, Holger Ott, Johannes Schmidt, Franziska Schöniger, Harald Wieser, Caroline Zimm

Contributing Authors: André Baumgart, Alina Brad, Simone Gingrich, Markus Lehner, Ina Meyer, Andreas Novy, Tajda Obrecht, Alexander Passer, Jonas Peisker, Jana Petermann, Harald Rieder, Anna Viktoria Rohrer, Nicolas Roux, Christian Schützenhofer, Dominik Steinberger-Maierhofer, Harald Vacik

Chapterl 6
Climate governance: Political, legal, economic and societal aspects
Coordinating Lead Authors: Alina Brad, Daniel Ennöckl, Claudia Kettner

Lead Authors: Ulrich Brand, Sarah Haider-Nash, Nikolaus Handig, Daniel Hausknost, Miriam Hofer, Roman Hoffmann, Lars Keller, Mathias Kirchner, Daniela Kletzan-Slamanig, Karina Knaus, Halliki Kreinin, Thomas Leoni, Andrea Möller, Ilse Schindler, Margit Schratzenstaller, Hendrik Theine, Erika Wagne, Danyal Maneka

Contributing Authors: Ernest Aigner, Mel Arnecke, Richard Bärnthaler, Daniela Ecker, Jarmo Kikstra, Michael Miess, Andreas Novy, Nicolas Roux, Thomas Schinko


Chapter 8
Transformation pathways
Coordinating Lead Authors: Andreas Novy, Gustav Resch, Nathalie Spittler

Lead Authors: Ernest Aigner, Richard Bärnthaler, Birgit Bednar-Friedl, Tara Esterl, Veronika Gaube, Michael Getzner, Simon Grabow, Klaus Kubeczko, Wolfgang Lexer, Michael Miess, Irene Monasterolo, Asjad Naqvi, Ece Özer, Elke Pirgmaier, Sigrid Stagl, Keith Andrew Williges

Contributing Authors: Bertram Barth, Esther Blanco, Karin Fischer, Elisabeth Gsottbauer, Jakob Kapeller, Michael Kirchler, Mathias Kirchner, Daniela Kletzan-Slamanig, Teresa Lackner, Lukas Liebmann, Verena Madner, Werner Raza
 

The Second Austrian Assessment Report on Climate Change was funded by the Climate and Energy Fund under the 14th Austrian Climate Research Program (ACRP).
 

The full report is available online

Summary for Policymakers

Press release BOKU University (in German)


17.06.2025