OcCC at a Glance

Scope

At the end of 1996 Federal Council Ruth Dreifuss commissioned the Swiss Academy of Sciences (scnat) to establish an advisory body on climate research to the Swiss federal government (Organe consultatif en matière de recherche sur le climat et les changements climatiques, OcCC). The scnat invited approximately 30 persons from research, the private sector and the federal administration to participate in this advisory body. The Swiss Agency for the Environment provides federal representation.

On the basis of already existing synergies, the secretariat is run by ProClim-, the scnat Forum for Climate and Global Change. Formally, ProClim- and OcCC are independent platforms of the Swiss Academy of Sciences.

The idea behind this mandate was to form a "Think Tank" for research on climate and climate change at the intersection between private sector, Federal administration and research. The results of the discussions on recent international research, problems and possible solutions are forwarded to the departments and offices concerned.

The mandate was prolonged on 1.1.2009 by 3 years.
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Mandate of OcCC

1. The OcCC observes and assesses

  • the development of the worldwide research and its results concerning climate mechanisms and climate change as well as its causes and impacts;

  • the development and impacts of national and international measures required to avoid hazardous anthropogenic climate changes, especially based on the work of IPCC and subsequent conferences concerning the Convention on Climate Change;

  • the development of the climate, especially regarding the impact on Switzerland.

2. The OcCC formulates recommendations

  • for Swiss research priorities and their co-ordination in institutes and programmes as a basis for political decisions;

  • for national and international measures required to avoid hazardous anthropogenic climate change and to lessen and to avoid damage on man and objects;

  • for the position of the Swiss delegations in international negotiations;

  • for dealing with climate variations in Switzerland.

3. The OcCC is an intersection between science, the Federal administration and the cantons as well as the public and it provides them with results, knowledge, ideas and opinions concerning questions about the climate.

4. Based on the recommendations of ProClim-, the OcCC suggests qualified Swiss experts as IPCC co-authors and as delegates for the COPs to the Federal administration.

5. The OcCC reports annually on its activities to the contracting authority.
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Contact

OcCC
Dr. Christoph Kull
Schwarztorstrasse 9
3007 Berne
Tel. (+41 31) 328 23 23
Fax. (+41 31) 328 23 20
E-mail: occc@scnat.ch
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