Climate & Human Systems Project (CHSP)

The Climate and Human Systems Project (CHSP) is a cross-cutting research activity within the Climate and Global Dynamics Laboratory at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Its principal goal is to integrate research on human and earth systems to improve understanding of climate change. To pursue this goal, the project develops and coordinates interdisciplinary studies focused on climate-related topics, such as climate modeling, analysis of climate model results, integrated assessment modeling, and impact modeling, to advance the scientific frontier and provide results relevant to policy discussions. These studies involve scientists in CGD, as well as from other NCAR laboratories and the larger scientific community. To stay up-to-date on CHSP activities, subscribe to the CHSP email list.

Benefits of Reduced Anthropogenic Climate changE (BRACE)

The first activity undertaken by the CHSP was the project on the Benefits of Reduced Anthropogenic Climate changE (BRACE). Initiated in 2014, BRACE focused on differences in impacts resulting from climate change driven by a higher emissions and radiative forcing scenario versus a lower scenario. The BRACE project involved 23 individual analyses and more than 50 authors from NCAR and from 18 partner institutions. View the BRACE highlights brochure or the synthesis paper to learn more about the BRACE project and its results, or download the BRACE media kit.

BRACE 1.5

The BRACE study is being extended to look at low warming scenarios to inform the IPCC special report on 1.5°C. The BRACE 1.5 project aims to analyze impacts at 1.5°C and 2°C warming, to understand whether impacts differ substantially between the two climate scenarios. A special collection on Climate Change Impacts of 1.5°C and 2°C Warming" is in progress for the journal Environmental Research Letters. Learn more about the BRACE 1.5 project.

Additional Activities

In addition to coordinating interdisciplinary studies, the CHSP also:

  • Characterizes human-earth system research ongoing within CGD
  • Provides a forum for interaction across disciplines on climate change research within CGD and NCAR
  • Facilitates development of new research ideas and collaborations
  • Improves the capacity of the Community Earth System Model (CESM) to support interdisciplinary research, in conjunction with the Societal Dimensions Working Group (SDWG).