Hans Joachim Schellnhuber is Director Emeritus of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and current Director General of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). He is a Professor at the Universities of Potsdam, Oldenburg, and East Anglia, and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University. He is a member of multiple national academies, including the US National Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on climate change, Earth system science, sustainability, planetary boundaries, and regenerative architecture . He pioneered the concept of tipping elements in the climate system and has led major assessments on climate risks and sustainable development. Since 2019, he has emphasized the role of the built environment in climate restoration through his leadership of Bauhaus Earth and involvement in the New European Bauhaus initiative. His recent publications reflect a deep engagement with climate tipping points, carbon dynamics, urban transformation, and systemic risks . They employ methods from complex networks, statistical physics, and integrated assessment modeling to analyze global environmental change. Among his many honors are the Blue Planet Prize, German Environmental Prize, Volvo Environmental Prize, and the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany . He is also a Commander of the Order of the British Empire and a Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur. Schellnhuber has advised global leaders including Chancellor Angela Merkel, EU Presidents, and Pope Francis. He served for 28 years on the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) and contributed to IPCC assessments. He has published over 300 scientific works and is a Highly Cited Researcher. He founded Bauhaus Earth to advance regenerative architecture and promote timber-based construction as a carbon sink. His work bridges science, policy, and societal transformation, advocating for a 'Great Transformation' toward planetary sustainability.




