SPOTLIGHTING THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE CLIMATE CRISIS
Keeping Science at the Forefront
As the U.S. government steps back from global climate leadership, AGU is stepping up by working with partners around the world to keep science at the center of climate solutions. By joining forces with universities, scientific societies, and international organizations, AGU is helping ensure that credible science continues to guide decisions that affect people and the planet.
Recent initiatives show this commitment in action. AGU partnered with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to give report authors free access to AGU’s full library of publications. With the American Meteorological Society, AGU launched a new special collection to sustain momentum for the U.S. National Climate Assessment. And through the new U.S. Academic Alliance for the IPCC, AGU is bringing together universities to make sure U.S. experts are part of future climate reports. Together, these efforts reflect AGU’s dedication to protecting science and advancing solutions that matter.
READ MORE ABOUT HOW AGU IS FIGHTING FOR SCIENCE
Ethical Framework for Climate Intervention
As global interest in climate interventions — including solar radiation modification and carbon dioxide removal — continues to grow, the need for ethical guidance has never been more urgent. With new research initiatives, policy dialogues, and experimental approaches emerging worldwide, these efforts must be grounded in principles that ensure transparency, inclusivity, justice and environmental stewardship.
Released in October 2024 by AGU, the Ethical Framework Principles for Climate Intervention Research was developed over a two-year period under the guidance of an advisory board of more than 40 international experts from a wide range of disciplines. The process emphasized transparency and broad engagement, including a three-month public comment period that gathered input from scientists, policymakers and community voices worldwide.
At COP30, AGU calls on scientists, policymakers, and institutions to not only engage with the Ethical Framework but to actively adopt its principles to shape responsible research, policy, and governance of climate interventions.
READ MORE ABOUT THE ETHICAL FRAMEWORK
Community Science for Community Priorities
Community Science is the process by which communities and scientists conduct science together to address local climate priorities. This includes defining questions, designing protocols, collecting and analyzing data and using scientific knowledge in decision-making and planning.
AGU’s Thriving Earth Exchange has pioneered this approach, with more than 300 projects globally. The Community Science Exchange is a partnership between AGU and five scientific societies that includes the Community Science journal to publish high-impact research.
AGU Affiliated Events at COP30
AGU will host or participate in several panels and events at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, fostering critical discussions on climate action.
Official Side Event
14 November, 13:15-14:45
Side Event Room 1
Earth Observations for Forest Monitoring in the Amazon: Ongoing Efforts and Upcoming Opportunities
Ocean Pavilion
11 November, 13:30-14:30
Ethical Pathways Ocean Solutions: Guiding Principles for Responsible Climate Intervention Research
12 November, 15:00-16:00
Tides of Collaboration: Safeguarding Ocean Climate Science Amid Policy Shifts
12 November, 16:30-17:30
Elevating Voices: Co-designing Research with Critical Communities for Science-policy Impact
Frequently Asked Questions about AGU and COP
What is AGU?
AGU is a global community supporting more than half a million professionals and advocates in Earth and space sciences. Their research includes studying deep into the planet’s core, our worldwide water cycle, atmospheric circulation, out to our planetary neighbors, and even newly discovered worlds far outside our solar system. The Earth and space sciences teach us how our world works, give us insight into environmental hazards and disasters, and reveal the ways in which humans are damaging our natural systems. Our science leads us to understanding our changing world and provides the foundation for solutions that create a thriving and sustainable future.
Through broad and inclusive partnerships, AGU aims to advance discovery and solution science that accelerate knowledge and create solutions that are ethical, unbiased, and respectful of communities and their values. Our programs include serving as a scholarly publisher, convening virtual and in-person events and providing career support. We live our values in everything we do, such as our net zero energy renovated building in Washington, D.C., and our Ethics and Equity Center, which fosters a diverse and inclusive geoscience community to ensure responsible conduct.
What is COP?
COP is the formal annual meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), also called the Conference of the Parties, or COP. The first meeting, or COP1, was held in 1995 in Berlin, Germany, to assess progress towards halting climate change. In early meetings, the parties negotiated the Kyoto Protocol and then measured progress by the signatories. More recently, COP meetings were used to negotiate the Paris Agreement.
Though the primary attention for COP is on the international negotiations, the meeting is also attended by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and individuals who bring critical expertise on climate change and its impacts. These parties typically organize within pavilions that provide a topical focus for bilateral meetings, educational opportunities, and to seek collaborative partners. For example, since COP27, AGU has co-hosted the Ocean Pavilion with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and several other leading scientific organizations.
Why does AGU send a delegation to COP?
COP is where decisions are made that will have world-changing impact. The climate goals that our government leaders decide on and the actions each country will take to meet them must be based on rigorously tested and ethical scientific research.
AGU is the largest Earth and space science association, composed of the world’s leading experts in climate science and its impacts on our environment and to our society. AGU’s membership is represented in more than 140 countries. Research published in AGU journals is widely cited in reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Our leadership in open science and community science is critical in advancing policy priorities and solutions that underpin the discussions held at COP. It is our obligation to ensure our science is heard by the people who need this information the most.