Assessment of Cross(X)-sectoral climate Impacts and pathways for Sustainable transformation

Project Information

AXIS

Grant agreement ID: 776608

DOI

10.3030/776608

Project closed

EC signature date 27 October 2017

Start date 1 January 2018

End date 31 December 2023

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

Total cost

€ 15 586 070,00

EU contribution

€ 5 143 403,10

Coordinated by

DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EV
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - AXIS (Assessment of Cross(X)-sectoral climate Impacts and pathways for Sustainable transformation)

Reporting period: 2019-05-01 to 2023-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The AXIS research programme aimed to enhance the integration of diverse research disciplines connected to climate research in order to enhance the assessment of potential impacts of climate change on bio-physical systems and human society and to help design optimal pathways for transformation toward sustainability. Thus, it aimed to use this synthesized knowledge in order to analyze possible transformation pathways leading to a society in agreement with the goals of the Paris Agreement of 2015. To this end the AXIS consortium of 11 European research funders has launched a transnational call for proposals with a total funding volume of about 15 Million EUR. The three themes of the Research Programme are:
(1) Cross-sectoral and cross-scale climate change impact assessments
(2) Integration of biophysical climate change impacts estimates with economic models
(3) Developing pathways to achieve the long-term objectives of the Paris Agreement, taking into account interactions with SDGs closely linked to SDG 13 (“climate action”).
Ten projects have been selected by the consortium of funders. The projects started in September 2019 and ended mostly in 2023 after an extension of up to one year. All project included an intensive involvement of stakeholders.
The ten projects provided deeper analyses of specific cross-sectoral interactions of climate impacts and provided a better understanding of these interactions. This resulted in improved models or tools to guide decisions to make European society resilient to climate change and compatible with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Integrative, more holistic pathways to reach the climate and other sustainability goals have been developed.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

This ERA-NET does not contain activities outside those needed to implement the single transnational joint call for proposals (no additional activities). The joint call was successfully implemented and ten selected projects have been concluded. Overall, the projects achieved their goals, although with a substantial delay due to personnel recruitment and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a delay in the implementation of the activities and changes in the work plans. Therefore, all respective coordinators requested for no-cost runtime extensions, which were granted by the respective funding organisations.
In conclusion, The ten projects provided deeper analyses of specific cross-sectoral interactions of climate impacts and provided a better understanding of these interactions. This resulted in improved models or tools to guide decisions to make European society resilient to climate change and compatible with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Integrative, more holistic pathways to reach the climate and other sustainability goals have been developed.
The results have been communicated via several channels: The AXIS web site https://jpi-climate.eu/programme/axis/ , a regular Newsletter, Scocial Media (Twitter/X) and through dedicated events at conferences. In addition, each projects has established its own dissemination channels. A summary of key findings of each project is available also available on the AXIS web site (e.g. https://jpi-climate.eu/document/crossdro-project-key-results/ ). In addition a summary of achievements in the form of publications and other form has been collected and is available online (https://jpi-climate.eu/document/axis-funded-projects-achievements-and-publications/).

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The AXIS research projects have gone beyond previous research in a number of ways: To date the impacts on sectors or compartment of the earth system has largely been described without a wider consideration of interaction between sectors. Some of the AXIS project have deepened the understanding about what impacts of a changing climate are to be expected within different impact sectors or categories in the future. Secondly, within AXIS not only the bio-physical impacts but also the socio-economic impacts of climate change have been studied, going beyond previous research in which oft either bio-physical systems or the economic impacts are studies in isolation. Thirdly, the current knowledge about the consequences of various emission futures, as a consequence of political and societal decisions were used in an integrative way to analyse different policy options for managing the transformation to sustainability. AXIS projects were conducted in close interaction with relevant stakeholder groups. They analysed impacts of the societal decisions on other UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) other than No. 13 on “climate action”.
Overall, the results of the AXIS research programme have led to better knowledge and tools for decisions necessary to make European society compatible with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

AXIS logo, transparent

AXIS logo, blue transparent