Strategic research and innovation priorities in climate sciences to inform climate policy and climate action

Evidence-based climate policies are essential for addressing the multifaceted challenges of climate change. To shape these policies effectively, it is crucial to align scientific research and innovation with the needs of policymakers, ensuring that decisions are grounded in robust, high-impact evidence. The EU-funded Coordination and Support Action MAGICA (Maximizing the synergy of European research Governance and Innovation for Climate Action) aims to develop a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for the European Research Area (ERA) for the 2025-2034 period, identifying critical research priorities that will help inform climate policies and action to achieve both European and international climate goals. This includes supporting the EU in becoming climate-neutral and climate-resilient by 2050, and in delivering on the targets set by the Paris Agreement.

To identify priority research areas that are scientifically and politically relevant for effective climate policy and action, four working groups have been established. One group is in charge of advancing the understanding of the climate system to assess how climate may change in the future, understand regional impacts, and inform effective adaptation and mitigation strategies. The core themes of the Priority Area on key climate processes, observations and modelling include:

• improving process understanding of the climate system,
• enhancing data collection and management, and
• advancing methodological developments for climate modelling and scenario prediction.

To inform these priorities, a rigorous stock-taking methodology has been employed, drawing from key documents such as the IPCC’s AR6 report, WCRP’s Future of Climate Modelling reports, and consultations with the wider climate science community. This process has resulted in the identification of high, medium, and low-priority research and innovation gaps based on their urgency, impact, scale, and relevance to EU policies. The prioritisation also considers the feasibility of addressing these gaps within existing funding structures, with an eye on potential new funding models and the engagement of relevant stakeholders.

This presentation at the EGU 2025 will serve as a platform for co-production of knowledge. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the proposed research and innovation priorities and contribute their perspective to refining existing SRIA proposal. By fostering dialogue between researchers, policymakers, and other societal actors and inviting their input, the proposed research priorities will be refined. Ultimately, the aim is to build a collective vision for the strategic research priorities that will help Europe achieve its ambitious climate goals and strengthen the science-policy interface for climate action.