Springer Nature campaign highlights climate research ahead of COP26

Springer Nature has launched a campaign to highlight the importance of research in identifying climate solutions ahead of the UN Climate Conference, known as COP26, which begins on 31st October.

The Climate Research in Action campaign is hosted on a dedicated microsite, and includes a new compilation of the most important research articles related to climate from across the Nature portfolio. The articles will be free to access during the conference.

In addition to the climate collection, the microsite includes a science-focused guide to COP26 and "The Ozone Story", a timeline detailing how science inspired global changes in policy and behaviour after the discovery of a hole in the ozone layer, first published in Nature in 1985, leading to the most successful environmental treaty to date.

The campaign will be shared with policymakers in response to a call from COP26 president Alok Sharma for academic evidence, research and rigour to make the case for climate action. It will also be promoted to COP26 delegates and activists travelling to Glasgow on the Climate Train through a partnership with Eurostar.

Thea Sherer, Springer Nature's director of sustainability, said: “COP26 is the most important global collaboration on climate change for a generation. Research can provide policymakers from around the world with the evidence they need to make crucial climate decisions. Climate Research in Action, an anthology of leading research published by Springer Nature in this space aims to make the scientific evidence front-of-mind as we head towards COP. The campaign shines a light on insights that will inform how we will mitigate and adapt to our future world and support the world’s ambition for a successful COP26.”

Nigel Topping, the UK's high-level climate action champion, added: “Scientists have been sounding the alarm on climate for decades, as this new campaign shows. Policy-makers, and other key stakeholders in the fight against climate change, need the support of scientists and research to continue to hold us to account and ensure that our efforts to tackle climate change measure up to the problem.

“However, researchers, like many of us in the climate community, also need to find new and engaging ways of communicating the evidence to society at large (who often have the ear of decision makers). It’s important to translate technical detail into powerful storytelling that engages the general public. The Climate Research in Action campaign does exactly that, and articulates the impact research can have on climate action.”