Reto Knutti

Reto Knutti is a climate physicist and full professor of climate physics at ETH Zurich.

After completing his PhD in physics in 2002, he spent several years conducting research as a postdoctoral fellow and visiting scholar at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. In 2007, he joined ETH Zurich as a professor.

His research focuses on the global climate system and, in particular, on how human-induced greenhouse gas emissions are altering the climate. To this end, Prof. Dr Reto Knutti combines an understanding of physical processes with observational data, climate models and statistical methods.

Through his work, he is making a significant contribution to a better understanding of human influence on observed climate changes and to a more precise assessment of future developments. His research group’s work focuses, amongst other things, on climate sensitivity and feedback effects, long-term and, in some cases, irreversible warming, the attribution of extreme weather events, as well as climate scenarios, climate impacts, climate protection and evidence-based decision-making.

Reto Knutti Lecture Topics

• The Challenge of Climate Change – Causes, Observations, and Human Impact on the Global Climate
• The Path to Net Zero: Strategies for a Climate-Neutral Future and the Role of the Economy and Infrastructure
• Managing Crises and Risks: Public Debates, Risk Assessment, and Robust Adaptation Measures.

Heat waves and dry summers, extreme precipitation, melting glaciers, rising sea levels: climate change is no longer a scenario—it is reality. The cause is the continued high consumption of fossil fuels.

Additional topics covered by Prof. Dr. Reto Knutti:

• Climate Scenarios
• Energy
• Sustainability
• Technology and Innovation
• Social and Political Debates
• Science in Society

Reto Knutti has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles, many of which have appeared in prestigious journals, and has been recognized fourteen times by Clarivate as a “highly cited researcher.”

The climate system is complex and influenced by many factors. These include, for example, interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean, clouds, sea ice, and processes occurring on land. Using detailed computer models that describe all relevant components of the climate, climate researchers can understand processes, analyze the past, and look to the future. Calculations for the past century clearly demonstrate the impact of human activity.

Prof. Dr. Reto Knutti: Climate Research, Climate Change, and the Environment?

Without massive intervention and without measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation, industrial, energy production, and construction sectors, the changes we are observing will continue and intensify. The 1.5°C limit on warming relative to pre-industrial levels, agreed upon in Paris, will be exceeded in just a few years. The consequences are diverse but predominantly negative; they will intensify and, without a massive shift in thinking, persist for centuries. The sooner we reduce emissions, the more room for maneuver we will have later on.

Climate scenarios as a decision-making tool: How science identifies options for action without taking political decisions out of the hands of policymakers.

Global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to net zero by 2050. Efforts to date have been insufficient, both in Switzerland and internationally. Geopolitical tensions and dependence on foreign countries should serve as an impetus to further advance progress in renewable energy, electrification, and efficiency. The technical and financial resources are largely in place. What we need is the political and societal will to shape the future together.

Climate sensitivity and feedback loops: How the climate system works and why some changes are irreversible.

Prof. Dr. Reto Knutti served as a lead author and coordinating lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports in 2007 and 2013. He presented his findings directly at the UN climate negotiations and in the UN’s structured expert dialogue. In Switzerland, he played a key role in several Swiss climate scenario reports and various national scientific initiatives. He served as the Sustainability Delegate at ETH Zurich (2015–2022) and as President of ProClim (2017–2020). He currently chairs the Center for Climate Modeling and serves on numerous advisory boards.

As a speaker and prominent public voice, Reto Knutti regularly engages with policymakers, business leaders, and the media on climate, sustainability, and the role of science in society. In recognition of his scientific contributions and his efforts to bridge the gap between science and society, he was awarded the prestigious Dr. J. E. Brandenberger Foundation Prize in 2018.

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