Austrian Assessment Report 2014 of the APCC

Objectives: To compile and integrate up-to-date climate change knowledge and expertise as well as possible response strategies for Austria; To strengthen the robustness of scientific findings by integrating research derived from different approaches and methods; To support and strengthen the Austrian climate change research community; To identify the knowledge gaps for future research and thereby to advance an Austrian climate research agenda; To provide policy-relevant technical support for response strategies, implementation of national commitments and positioning within the European Union and other international and global climate-related initiatives; and To develop and maintain a comprehensive collection of available literature and databases with respect to climate change research in Austria. Background and Motivation The IPCC assessment reports currently represent a widely-accepted and reliable basis for policy making. However, the large-scale analyses are not able to take into account the local, sub-scale geographical and topographical characteristics that contribute considerably to the shaping of the local climatic situation. The same holds true for the assessment of societal and economic triggers and responses to climate change that are influenced by a region`s social and cultural environment. Austrian climate research is characterized by a high diversity of perspectives and approaches as well as localized scientific expertise. However, few structures or procedures currently exist that allows for the integration and consolidation of these rich knowledge sources. Thus the institutional fragmentation and distribution of expertise comes with the cost that the overall expertise is hardly accessible to decision-makers. In order to improve Austrian climate research with respect to influencing decision-makers, new frameworks are required that allow compilations of consolidated knowledge based on climate change implications in Austria. The APCC intends to define and set up the procedures and framework within which the first scientific national climate research report is to be developed and to facilitate and accompany the implementation of this first report by providing the means for scientific and stakeholder meetings and external reviews it will not finance new scientific research. The report will aim at presenting a coherent and complete analysis of the issues and optionsbased upon what can be said from a scientific and analytical perspective. The goal is to provide policy-relevant analysis and capacity-enhancing guidance to the Austrian government, decision- support material to the private sector (energy service companies, investors and others), and analysis relevant to academic institutions. The APCC report is scheduled to be published in the late of 2014, after the release of the IPCC 5th Assessment report. Austrian Panel on Climate Change (APCC) The APCC, funded by the Austrian Klima- und Energie Fonds (Climate and Energy Fund), aims to produce an Austrian Assessment Report (AAR14) which compiles and evaluates the current state of research findings with respect to climate change impacts as well as the adaptation and mitigation options available within an Austrian context and focus. The AAR14 represents a national counterpart to the International Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports. Over 200 Austrian climate scientists have worked for over three years to identify and compile the highly sought-after regional-scaled knowledge that takes into account the specificities of the natural-physical as well as societal and economic environments in Austria. The Austrian Climate Research Program (ACRP) of the Climate and Energy Fund has supported the project through the financing of coordinated activities and workshops. The APCC authors and researchers have worked on the report free of charge. The APCC works and collaborates closely with the Climate Change Centre Austria. The structure of the AAR14 is similar to that of the IPCC assessment reports. It consists of 3 Volumes, each presided over by 3-4 co-chairs. The Chapters in each Volume are in principle coordinated by 2 Coordinating Lead Authors (CLAs), who coordinate and curate the contributions of chapter Lead Authors (LAs) and Contributing Authors (CAs). The entire project is led by the Organizing Committee (N. Nakicenovic/TU Wien, H. Kromp-Kolb/BOKU; K. Steininger/Wegener Center Universität Graz). The Scientific Advisory Board is presided over by Jill Jäger (SERI). The external review process is coordinated by K. Riahi (IIASA). The review process of the APCC report is based on similar procedures used by other assessment reports, for example, the IPCC and the Global Energy Assessment. Like the IPCC, the APCC uses independent Review Editors to oversee and assess the review process. This includes approving the revisions made in response to review comments by the writing teams. Review editors are required to give their sign-off or affidavit that the review process was carried out according to procedure. APCC differs from the IPCC review process, in that individual reviewers are anonymous. Quick Facts 3 Volumes and 17 Chapters 36 Convening Lead Authors and 250 total authors 100 Reviewers 17 Review Editors Pages: approx. 1100; Figures: Approx. 200 and Tables: approx. 80 Organizing Committee Helga Kromp-Kolb, Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Karl Steininger Coordinating Lead Authors Bodo Ahrens, Ingeborg Auer, Andreas Baumgarten, Birgit Bednar-Friedl, Josef Eitzinger, Ulrich Foelsche, Herbert Formayer, Clemens Geitner, Thomas Glade, Andreas Gobiet, Reinhard Haas, Helmut Haberl, Leopld Haimberger, Regina Hitzenberger, Martin König, Helga Kromp-Kolb, Manfred Lexer, Wolfgang Loibl, Romain Molitor, Hanns Moshammer, Hans-Peter Nachtnebel, Franz Prettenthaler, Klaus Radunsky, Hans Schnitzer, Wolfgang Schöner, Petra Seibert, Sigrid Stagl, Robert Steiger, Johann Stötter, Ulrich Strasser, Wolfgang Streicher, Wilfiried Winiwarter Co-Chairs Volume 1: Andreas Gobiet, Helga Kromp-Kolb Volume 2: Herbert Formayer, Franz Prettenthaler, Hans Stötter, Volume 3: Angela Köppl, Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Jürgen Schneider, Karl Steininger Review Editors Brigitte Bach, Sabine Fuss, Dieter Gerten, Martin Gerzabek, Peter Houben, Carsten Loos, Herman Lotze-Campen, Fred Luks, Wolfgang Mattes, Sabine McCallum, Urs Neu, Andrea Prutsch, Mathias Rotach