8 Aug 2025
The German government has appointed five scientists for the second period of office of the climate council – among them LMU geographer Julia Pongratz.
The Council of Experts on Climate Change is an independent panel of five experts from various disciplines. Established in August 2020, its members were appointed for a term of five years. Now the federal cabinet has appointed five new experts, who will take up their duties in the climate council as of 1 September 2025. Among them is Professor Julia Pongratz from the Faculty of Geosciences at LMU Munich: “To limit climate change, we need not only ambitious targets, but also the systematic implementation of appropriate measures,” says the LMU geographer. “The Council of Experts accompanies this process from an independent scientific perspective and evaluates the progress of climate action measures in Germany.”
The duties of the Council of Experts are set out in the Federal Climate Action Act: The council reviews the data for greenhouse gas emissions and projections produced annually by the German Environment Agency and presents its evaluation to the federal government and the German Bundestag. Every two years, the Council of Experts writes a report on developments in greenhouse gas emissions to date, trends regarding annual emissions volumes, and the efficacy of measures with regard to the achievement of targets. Moreover, the involvement of the Council of Experts is legally stipulated when it comes to various climate policy measures, such as changing emissions volumes, updating the climate action plan, and adopting climate action programs. In its reports, the Council of Experts also evaluates the assessments of the federal government concerning the social distribution effects, cost effectiveness, and efficacy of climate action measures.
To limit climate change, we need not only ambitious targets, but also the systematic implementation of appropriate measures. The Council of Experts accompanies this process from an independent scientific perspective and evaluates the progress of climate action measures in Germany.Julia Pongratz
Within the council, the primary focus of Julia Pongratz, who is Chair Professor of Physical Geography and Land Use Systems at LMU, will be on how the use of soils and land areas influence climate: “In the land use sector, there are particular challenges: The rewetting of peatlands is progressing slowly, while droughts, storms, and pests are impacting our forests,” explains the climate researcher. “These developments are reflected clearly in the greenhouse gas data and require targeted support with suitable measures. I want to use my expertise on the council to help society successfully address these challenges.”