Piers M. Forster

Piers M. Forster is Professor of Climate Physics at the University of Leeds, within the School of Earth and Environment in the Faculty of Environment. He serves as the founding Director of the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures and holds significant policy roles as Interim Chair of the UK Climate Change Committee (since 2023) and member since 2019. Professor Forster has played key roles in authoring multiple Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports across the Fourth (2007), Fifth (2013), and Sixth (2021) assessment cycles, as well as the Special Report on 1.5°C (2018).

Professor Forster's research spans atmospheric physics, climate modeling, and climate policy, with particular expertise in climate sensitivity, radiative forcing, carbon budgets, and aviation's climate impacts. His work combines theoretical understanding with practical applications for climate policy, evidenced by his leadership of the 'Indicators of Global Climate Change' project which provides annual updates on critical climate metrics. He has made significant contributions to understanding how both long-lived and short-lived climate forcers affect the Earth system.

Professor Forster's research has been widely recognized, earning him the Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award (2011), Fellowship in the American Geophysical Union (2019), and the NERC Research Impact Award (2023). He has been named a Web of Science Clarivate Analytics highly cited researcher annually from 2019-2023, reflecting the significant impact of his work in climate science. His most influential publications include 'Bounding the role of black carbon in the climate system' (over 6,000 citations) and 'An assessment of Earth's climate sensitivity using multiple lines of evidence' (2020).

His research group, the Physical Climate Group, works on critical questions related to climate prediction, aviation impacts, and carbon budgeting. Professor Forster actively supervises postgraduate students and leads teaching on climate-related courses at the University of Leeds, while also engaging with broader climate initiatives through his co-founding of the United Bank of Carbon charity and involvement in local climate action through Zero Carbon Harrogate.