JPI Climate: transforming Europe’s future through climate issues

Few issues are of greater importance for Europe’s common future than climate change. For several months now, ANR has chaired this inter-governmental initiative which works to secure a better future for Europe, protecting its citizens and natural wealth through informed and inclusive action in the shift toward more sustainable development trajectories.

The Joint European Programming Initiative on the Climate (JPI Climate) is collaboration between the ministries of 16 European countries which jointly develops coordination on research concerning climate issues by aligning national activities, funding novel initiatives, and forging a continental strategy in synergy with the European Commission. The idea behind JPIs or "Joint Programming Initiatives" is to create a transnationally coordinated research base to prevail over research fragmentation, make better use of R&D resources and ease cross-border collaboration between scientists. As is the case with other collaborative initiatives, JPI Climate links together scientific disciplines (including social sciences and the humanities), enables large-scale research and encourages science-practice interaction with academia, industry and civil society actors on societal changes arising from climate change issues (vulnerability, resilience, adaptation, mitigation, etc.). Launched in 2011, the JPI underpins European efforts in the area. The JPI has lent support on priority themes through transnational calls since 2013, certain of which, along with the Belmont Forum (global cluster of funding agencies operating in the field of environmental change), are open to international participants.

ANR commits to take on greater responsibility

ANR served as vice chair of the JPI from 2013 to 2015 and assumed chairmanship in May; it will be serving in this capacity over the 2015-2017 period. ANR also took part in two calls for proposals under JPI Climate. It served as call secretariat for European call 2013 "Societal transformation in the face of climate change" as well as International call 2015 "Climate predictability and inter-regional linkage," alongside the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences. An ANR-coordinated ERA-NET Cofund scheduled for 2016-2020 is currently being prepared on the topic of climate services involving 16 countries, 13 funding agencies and 28 research organisations, including BRGM, CEA, CNRS, IGN, INRA, and Météo-France, with potential funding in the amount of €75 million.

ANR and the JPIs: wide-ranging but pinpointed support in synergy with the ministries and alliances

Since 2014, ANR has also chaired Water JPI, an initiative with a similar focus on ecological and societal issues from a water resources standpoint. Looking more broadly, ANR is a party to JPIs insomuch as it aids them in drafting strategic research agendas and developing synergies with other transnational initiatives. The agency draws on and co-directs each of the JPIs’ French mirror groups, comprising relevant ministries and alliances such that France may forge a strong and unified position. ANR is also active a number of fronts encouraging and setting up research projects and selecting their topics.

Find out more:

• Website : jpi-climate.eu