New guidelines aim to strengthen climate change assessments through better knowledge synthesis
New paper calls for use of quality knowledge syntheses as climate literature expands exponentially.
A team of international climate experts has published a set of recommendations to improve how scientific knowledge is synthesised for climate change assessments. The paper, published in Nature Climate Change, responds to the growing challenge of managing the vast and rapidly expanding body of climate literature – now doubling every five years.
The authors argue that climate change assessments (CCAs) – such as those conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – must shift from primarily reviewing individual studies to critically assessing high-quality knowledge syntheses. These syntheses integrate diverse forms of evidence, including peer-reviewed science, indigenous knowledge, and practitioner insights.
The paper outlines seven key recommendations for producing robust, transparent, and inclusive syntheses. These include focusing on policy-relevant questions, using appropriate methodologies, assessing the validity and confidence of findings, and embracing digital tools like machine learning to manage large datasets. The authors – including our chair, Felix Creutzig – also emphasise the importance of open science practices to ensure transparency and reproducibility.
Importantly, the paper highlights the need to better incorporate underrepresented knowledge systems – such as indigenous and local knowledge – into climate assessments. Methods like knowledge dialogues and multi-evidence-base approaches are proposed to ensure these perspectives are ethically and effectively included.
As climate change continues to accelerate, the authors call for a cultural shift in academia and policy to value synthesis work more highly. They urge funders, journals, and research institutions to support this transition by investing in training, infrastructure, and recognition for synthesis efforts.
Read the full paper
This article is a summary of a research paper:
Recommendations for producing knowledge syntheses to inform climate change assessments. Nature Climate Change.
Authors: James D. Ford, Robbert Biesbroek, Lea Berrang Ford, Felix Creutzig, Neal Haddaway, Sherilee Harper, Jan C. Minx, Mark New, Anne J. Sietsma, Carol Zavaleta-Cortijo & Max Callaghan
