Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research (OCCR)

The Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research (OCCR) is a leading institution for climate research. It carries out interdisciplinary research that is at the forefront of climate science. The OCCR brings together researchers from 17 institutes and 5 faculties. It was founded in 2007 and is named after Hans Oeschger (1927-1998), a pioneer of modern climate research.

The OCCR has built up a unique interdisciplinary research environment focusing on climate change, one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. At the interface between physics, geography, biology, chemistry, history, economy, political sciences and philosophy, approximately 330 researchers are investigating the effects of these unprecedented changes on humans and ecosystems.

News

Media release

Karin Ingold is co-head of NCCR Clim+

The University of Bern is taking over the direction of a new National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) together with ETH Zurich.

People

Change in the OCCR Directorate

On 1 February 2027, Hendrik Vogel will take over from Martin Grosjean as the Director of the OCCR and the Graduate School of Climate Sciences.

Hans Sigrist Prize 2025

"Climate law is at an inflection point"

When is climate law just? The Hans Sigrist Symposium 2025 revolved around this seemingly simple question - and hit a nerve.

Hans Sigrist Prize 2025

“We can’t expect judges to save us”

Renowned climate law expert Christina Voigt is the winner of the Hans Sigrist Prize 2025. Click here for her profile on uniAKTUELL.

People

Oeschger Young Scientist’s Prize

Jenny Mascarucci: Tracking extreme weather damage

Climate economist Jenny Mascarucci wrote her master’s thesis while hiking in Portugal – with great success: she achieved the top grade of her year at the Graduate School of Climate Sciences and was awarded the “2025 Oeschger Young Scientist's Prize” for her achievement.

Oeschger Young Scientist’s Prize

Alumna Patricia Helpap: Appreciated the freedom of study

Patricia Helpap is a passionate climate researcher. The alumna of the Graduate School of Climate Sciences has now been awarded the 2025 Oeschger Young Scientist's Prize.

SNSF Starting Grant

Her research could help future-proof agriculture

Heike Lindner, a senior research associate with the Plant Genetics and Development group, has received a prestigious SNSF Starting Grant for her CAMatomy project.

Oeschger Young Scientist’s Prize

A Climate Scientist with a Broad Perspective

Carole Bouverat graduated as the top student of her year at the Graduate School of Climate Sciences and was awarded the 2024 Oeschger Young Scientist's Prize in recognition of her achievement. Today, she works for a globally active consulting firm.

Publications

Paper of the month

Support for climate change policy in times of crisis

As governments intensify efforts to decarbonize their energy systems in response to climate change, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has (re-)introduced energy security as a potentially competing policy priority. A new study using original survey data from Germany and Switzerland investigates whether the public perceives energy security and energy transition as complementary or conflicting. The study is led by OCCR researcher Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen.

Paper of the month

Atlantic circulation stable for decades

OCCR member Jens Terhaar is the lead author of the study ‘Atlantic overturning inferred from air-sea heat fluxes indicates no decline since the 1960s’, which was published in Nature Communications. It concludes that ocean circulation in the North Atlantic has not weakened in the last 60 years. These results contradict earlier assumptions.

Paper of the month

The modern landscape through a palaeoecological lens

An OCCR research group has published a study that shows the traces of historical land use in today's landscape. The publication is based on sedimentary data from northern Greece covering the last 9000 years.

Paper of the month

Why farmers are taking their government to court over climate change

A paper co-authored by several OCCR researchers and published in the journal Nature shows how a lawsuit is reshaping the role of agriculture in climate policy.

Events

Mo We

May 11, 2026

until May 13, 2026

University of Bern, Switzerland

Conference

PAGES IMPACT workshop 2026

Mo We

May 18, 2026

until May 20, 2026

University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern

FemClim 2026

Feminist Perspectives in Climate Research

June 8, 2026

University of Bern, Switzerland

Conference

2nd Swiss Ocean Day

September 9, 2026

University of Bern, Unitobler, Lerchenweg 36, 3012 Bern

Conference

Beat the Heat 2026

Contact

University of Bern
Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research

Hochschulstrasse 4
3rd floor WEST
3012 Bern

Phone: +41 31 684 31 45