The atmospheric methane burden has grown rapidly since 2007, with remarkable increases in the 2020s . The parallel sharp isotopic decline in the proportion of 13CH4 suggests growth is primarily driven by biological sources, including climate-warming feedbacks from natural wetlands and also human-driven agricultural sources (Michel, et al. PNAS 121: e2411212121. 2024). New radiocarbon monoxide results (Morgenstern et al. Nature Comm 16: 249, 2025) imply increasing atmospheric oxidizing capacity and thus higher methane emissions. There may be evidence a major climate transition is already in progress (Nisbet et al. Glob.Biogeo.Cycl. 37: e2023GB007875, 2023).
The Union session will outline the scientific evidence for recent changes in the methane budget, and summarise progress in quantification and mitigation methods. Methane’s rapid new growth challenges the Paris Agreement. Rapid progress is being made in quantifying oil and gas, coal, and landfill emissions, and in learning how to mitigate them. Less progress is being made in reducing emissions from agriculture.
Presentations from James France, Semra Bakkaloglu, Thomas Röckmann, and Euan Nisbet will consider why growth is taking place, the impact of climate feedbacks, and what our mitigation responses should be, in the context of the Paris Agreement and the Global Methane Pledge. The symposium will also include a panel discussion with speakers and convenors, and a 30 minute Q&A session for audience discussion.


All opinions, statements, and questions, either from the panel or the audience, are the speakers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), our conference organizer Copernicus or the Austria Center Vienna, but have been shared here in the name of supporting open, transparent, and unedited discussion on this topic.

With the increasing urgency to limit global temperature rise to below 2ºC by the end of this century, we cannot rely on decreasing emissions but will have to develop, test and upscale methods for active carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere. The United Nations Ocean Decade aims to use and increase the ocean’s potential for CO2 uptake using natural or eco-engineering approaches. Those approaches include, but are not limited to, ocean negative carbon emissions (ONCE) that constitute land-ocean boundaries and open marine ecosystems via the integrations of diverse carbon pumps (biological carbon pump, microbial carbon pump, solubility pump and carbonate counter pump). A better understanding of the mechanisms underpinning these pumps would help guide eco-engineering approaches that hold promises for carbon sequestration in sea-farming fields, by ocean alkalinity enhancement, or through other innovative practices. To ensure transparency among the ocean research community, governmental officials and stakeholders, it is imperative to responsibly consider the potential outcomes from these eco-engineering designs. This will also call for a code of conduct that can be continuously updated to ensure prudent implementation of emerging ocean negative carbon emission technologies, aligning with the acceptability and feasibility standards of the research community and the public. Through this Union Symposium, we invite the European Geoscience Community to support, engage with, or supervise the global goal to facilitate ocean carbon negative emissions, striving for a sustainable ocean future beyond the UN Ocean Decade.


All opinions, statements, and questions, either from the panel or the audience, are the speakers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), our conference organizer Copernicus or the Austria Center Vienna, but have been shared here in the name of supporting open, transparent, and unedited discussion on this topic.

The proposed Union Symposia at EGU25 will focus on the critical balance between top-down and bottom-up approaches in hazard risk and disaster management, with an emphasis on how trust influences risk perception and community engagement in resilience efforts. Previous EGU Great Debates have largely centered on scientific research needs, often sidelining the voices of affected communities. This session aims to shift the focus, exploring how scientists, policy-makers, and practitioners can work together to integrate local knowledge and foster community-driven resilience. The debate will examine the role of trust in shaping risk perception and how scientists can build credibility with communities to improve disaster preparedness.

Bringing together diverse stakeholders—including policy-makers, practitioners, and scientists—the session will encourage an inclusive dialogue about the challenges and opportunities in disaster management. The interactive format will foster cross-disciplinary discussions on balancing centralized decision-making with community empowerment while exploring how trust can enhance cooperation between experts and local populations. By incorporating lessons from ongoing EU resilience initiatives, the symposia will generate actionable insights and policy recommendations, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of disaster resilience that aligns with both scientific advancement and community needs.


All opinions, statements, and questions, either from the panel or the audience, are the speakers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), our conference organizer Copernicus or the Austria Center Vienna, but have been shared here in the name of supporting open, transparent, and unedited discussion on this topic.

Water is the key resource of our world. Societies, economies and all natural systems depend on the availability and the quality of water. Climate change and unsustainable use pose a threat and bring scientific and societal challenges to tackle in the coming years. Water extremes, such as drought and flood, are intensifying while complex events are emerging. These extremes are characterised by high risk as they can affect all economic and financial systems, the functioning of ecosystems and the services they provide, and trigger propagating cascading effects and shocks. Unsustainable use of and dependency on water resources is deteriorating further these fast-evolving conditions and the risks they bring.
Addressing water resilience needs an innovative systemic approach building on novel scientific evidence and data, societal engagement and policy actions. This session will bring together panelists from all these different areas to discuss the complexity of the topic, bring in the recent outcome of international efforts (e.g. Drought+10 Resilience Conference and the UNCCD Cop16) and shed light on possible path to a resilient future.


All opinions, statements, and questions, either from the panel or the audience, are the speakers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), our conference organizer Copernicus or the Austria Center Vienna, but have been shared here in the name of supporting open, transparent, and unedited discussion on this topic.

One of the greatest risks to our security is the impact of climate change. Extreme weather continues to ravage ever greater areas of Europe through floods, fires and droughts, throughout the year and across the European Union. The EU's new strategic agenda for 2024-2029 states that it will strengthen its resilience, preparedness, crisis prevention and response capacities in an all-hazards and whole-of-society approach to protect its citizens and societies against different crises, including disasters.

The EU funds research & innovation through Horizon Europe projects but also with multiple other instruments and channels. The needs of the EU, reflecting those of its Member States, for scientific output to address and support disaster risk reduction policy, prevention & preparedness capacity-building, and emergency operations are continuous. These gaps are reflected in policy or operational documentation, such as the political guidelines for the next European Commission 2024-2029 and the Union's Disaster Resilience Goals. Among others, we should look at all facets of crisis and disaster management, along community resilience building.

This session aims to create a dialogue between EU-wide policy-based scientific needs for Disaster Resilience and the scientific community of the EGU. It will inform the scientific community how to interpret the latest policy documentation in orienting their research and funnel their planning and output back to the EU's needs to have an impact and added value for society. The European Commission will be represented by the DG for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations as well as DG Joint Research Centre.


All opinions, statements, and questions, either from the panel or the audience, are the speakers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), our conference organizer Copernicus or the Austria Center Vienna, but have been shared here in the name of supporting open, transparent, and unedited discussion on this topic.

Measurements and observations are essential to the development and advancement of understanding in the geosciences. Measurements are also critical to the detection and quantification of long term change and short term hazards, at a time when non-stationarity in Earth systems is increasing and extreme events are occurring daily. For many regions and domains however, observational networks are lacking, while the need for information is increasing due to growing human populations, intensifying geopolitical pressures and Earth’s rapidly changing climate.
Happily, at a time where the need for observational information is greatest, so too are the opportunities. New observational tools ranging from advanced spaceborne sensors delivering global high resolution data, to a proliferation of ultra-low-cost sensors all present new opportunities. High performance computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning and data assimilation can streamline workflows and deliver new insights from novel and established sources. The re-analysis of historical records, often through shared effort, can improve understanding of past events and conditions. The opportunistic repurposing of existing sensor technologies is leading to exciting and cost-effective new opportunities for monitoring and observations.
To ensure the long term success of the geosciences, and the health of our planet, it is imperative that advances in measurement science continue and that knowledge and information is shared effectively within our community, and beyond.
The hosts and invited speakers from a range of science and technology disciplines in this Union-wide session will showcase the most exciting advances in measurement, monitoring and observational tools and data systems, and look to the future to see what new possibilities exist. We will explore how innovations from outside of the geoscience domain can bring benefit to our work and how our community can drive the development of new tools and techniques.
The speakers will explore pathways and obstacles to innovation, and help the audience identify opportunities to advance observational methods across the geosciences.
The session will energise the community to realise the unprecedented opportunities that now exist, and will be of interest and relevance to everyone obtaining or using measurements and observations across all scientific divisions.

And remember, making measurements is always more fun…!


All opinions, statements, and questions, either from the panel or the audience, are the speakers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), our conference organizer Copernicus or the Austria Center Vienna, but have been shared here in the name of supporting open, transparent, and unedited discussion on this topic.

Fieldwork is central to most geoscientists´ education and research practice. Work in the field has traditionally been the backbone of geoscientific data collection and is shaping the image of geoscientists´ identity and skills. However, fieldwork can also be considered problematic as it currently limits who can and will participate in our research field. With digitalization and remote instrumentation, fieldwork as a core requirement can even be up for debate.

Fieldwork is where cultures around physical and psychological safety are created. In the last few years, awareness of discrimination, inside and outside academia, has been growing, with fieldwork being an area where vulnerabilities are amplified. Issues with gender inequality, inclusivity of LGBTQIA+ scientists and students and geopolitical restrictions are even more critical in remote locations, when requiring international travel or overnight stays. Requirements and expectations for fieldwork also presents unique challenges for researchers with caregiving responsibilities.

Some institutions have developed codes of conduct or best practice routines, but these are not yet widely used or discussed. Routines for physical and mental safety in the field are typically developed locally and the responsibility and support structures for development as well as implementation vary widely.

This symposium aims to discuss the roles we as scientists can take in shaping the conversations around fieldwork. We aim to foster a dialogue among researchers sharing their experiences and strategies for coping and continue to raise awareness and highlight the potential actions of researchers at every level to create a safe and inclusive environment in the field. Different aspects to be discussed are 1) Is fieldwork still a core necessity for geoscientists? 2) How can we develop more inclusive field practices and what institutional actions and support mechanisms are needed to create a safer and more inclusive field environment? 3) What do effective practices look like for integrating fieldwork and parenting into future research planning and funding frameworks? 4) Field teaching or fieldwork for research – do we treat the situations differently?

We will use this symposium as a platform aimed to generate community, share experiences and discuss what structures can be put in place, for example through EGU, EU funding programs and research councils to support this.


All opinions, statements, and questions, either from the panel or the audience, are the speakers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), our conference organizer Copernicus or the Austria Center Vienna, but have been shared here in the name of supporting open, transparent, and unedited discussion on this topic.

The session will begin with an overview of the present state of gender diversity in the geosciences. Statistics and studies will be discussed demonstrating the underrepresentation of women, non-binary, and gender-diverse people in the discipline. Such contextual presentation provides the basis to explore in greater detail the systemic barriers maintaining such limited diversity: biased hiring practices, workplace culture, and career advancement opportunities. Participants will be invited to consider how these issues manifest in their own institutions and professional experiences.

Central to the session will be the sharing of lived experiences from geoscientists. These individual stories will provide valuable information on specific challenges faced by geoscientists of diverse gender, including solo status within a research group, navigating mentorship, and how microaggressions and discrimination inhibit career progression.

Besides pointing out challenges, the session will be dedicated to strategies and initiatives that have been employed for successfully promoting gender diversity in the geosciences. These would include discussion of programs that would help facilitate recruitment and retention efforts amongst women and gender diverse groups, such as mentorship networks, diversity scholarships, and targeted outreach. This session will also consider how policies and practices interact with one another to influence and provide an inclusive workplace culture, including flexible work arrangements, anti-discrimination training, and use of inclusive language at work.

A significant aspect that is to be discussed is that of intersectionality: how gender intersects with other dimensions of identity, such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability, in influencing the experiences of geoscientists. The session will examine how the compounding of intersecting identities exacerbates burdens on underrepresented groups and the need to incorporate these factors into the formulation of strategies for inclusivity.

The session will be concluded by a call to action. This may include anything from the highly influential, such as reasoned lobbying for policy changes and supporting initiatives that promote diversity, to becoming more aware of one's own biases and how these may impact colleagues. This is aimed at equipping the participants with knowledge and tools to help them actively contribute toward a more inclusive and fair geoscience community.


All opinions, statements, and questions, either from the panel or the audience, are the speakers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), our conference organizer Copernicus or the Austria Center Vienna, but have been shared here in the name of supporting open, transparent, and unedited discussion on this topic.

There is increasing evidence for a prevalence of mental health disorders in researchers globally, especially in early-career scientists (ECS). Geosciences are no exception, with a recent survey reporting high rates of anxiety, depression, burnout and panic attacks in marine ECS.These are often signs of deep-rooted systemic problems of the academic system.
Many facets, from high competitiveness, to publish-or-perish philosophy and precarious careers can lead to poor work-life balance and place additional stressors on researchers with underlying psychological conditions. Geoscientists also face additional mental stressors, for example challenging field work or climate grief. Hostile working environments, abuse of power, sexism and discrimination further exacerbate the complexity and intersectionality of these issues leading to unwelcoming and toxic environments. Depression and anxiety are more prevalent in women and transgender researchers. The mental health crisis in the geosciences thus intersects with the lack of diversity in academia and low prioritisation of equality and inclusion. In spite of being a widespread issue, mental health is seldom present in the discourse about EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) in academia. Very few researchers feel safe to speak openly about mental disorders or chronic illness due to fears about future career perspectives, or lack of understanding and judgement by peers.
Here we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities in opening the discourse on mental health and wellbeing in the geosciences. How do lack of awareness, misperceptions and stigma on mental illness shape our current working environments? How do stressors change across the different career stages? And what are those specific to geosciences? How much is this crisis caused by a lack of diversity in academia and how might this lack of representation in turn fuel this crisis because of increased attrition rates among under-represented groups? Can a more positive and inclusive academic environment contribute to stopping the decline in disruptive and innovative research and promote EDI in the geosciences?
We will invite experts in mental illness and stigma research, and colleagues who will share their stories, challenges and success stories in dealing with and overcoming stigma in their workplace. With this, we aim to stimulate a broad discussion to identify needs, best practices and ways forward for a more humane geosciences research community.


All opinions, statements, and questions, either from the panel or the audience, are the speakers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), our conference organizer Copernicus or the Austria Center Vienna, but have been shared here in the name of supporting open, transparent, and unedited discussion on this topic.