In an interview with the publication, Klimareporter°, IIASA Director-General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber reflects on the accelerating climate crisis and the search for solutions in a world approaching ecological overshoot.

In the article, Schellnhuber expresses confidence that humanity will continue to uncover unexpected opportunities to counteract climate change, even as pressures on planetary boundaries intensify. At the same time, he cautions that without sustained scientific, political, and societal commitment, humanity risks moving ever further beyond safe ecological limits, making decisive action more urgent than ever.

Read the full article (in German).

News

Aerial view of flooded village by river Rhine, St. Goar or Sankt Goar, Germany.

22 May 2026

IIASA Director General featured in new documentary on Pope Francis and the climate crisis

IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber is featured in the new documentary Hirschhausen will zum Papst (Hirschhausen wants to meet the Pope), produced by Germany’s public broadcaster ARD.
Large construction site with foundations, scaffolding and cranes.

21 May 2026

IIASA Director General highlights concerns over slow progress in decarbonizing the buildings sector

A recent Table.Briefings article featuring comments by IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber highlights growing concerns that progress in decarbonizing the global buildings sector remains too slow to achieve international climate goals. The article discusses findings from the new UNEP and Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2025/2026.
Social Networks and interaction concept.

02 February 2026

Science under threat: IIASA Director General on rising anti-science tendencies

In a feature published by German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau, IIASA Director-General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber warns of growing currents that undermine scientific evidence and international cooperation – trends he says, that risk dragging societies back toward myth and superstition.