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

Award

Positive Tipping Points for Climate Protection

OCCR member Lukas Fesenfeld was awarded the Theodor Kocher Prize by the University of Bern for his research on the political economy of environmental and food policy.

Symposium

Succession at the top of the OCCR

A symposium with the candidates for the succession of OCCR Director Matin Grosjean will take place on June 2nd and 3rd.

Swiss Global Change Day

Successful young researchers

The prize for the best poster in all categories went to OCCR young researchers at the Swiss Global Change Day 2025 contest.

Research

Biogeochemical Modelling

The OCCR has a new research group. It is called Global Biogeochemical Modelling and it is mainly concerned with the reconstruction of ocean circulation.

People

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.

Oeschger Young Scientist’s Prize

A Successful Shift in Perspective

Anton Braun graduated as the second-best student of his year at the Graduate School of Climate Sciences and was honored with the ‘2024 Oeschger Young Scientist’s Prize’.

Academic career

The skilful networker

Bettina Schaefli developed an early interest in hydrological modelling and has since built an impressive career.

Social tipping points

Juggling dual roles successfully

Economist and philosopher, Philippe Colo, analyses social tipping points. He says that a project like this is only possible in an interdisciplinary environment such as the Oeschger Centre.

Publications

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.

Paper of the month

Heat, humidity and health impacts

An interdisciplinary study by various OCCR members addresses the intricate relationships between heat, humidity and health outcomes.

Events

Mo Fr

June 23, 2025

until June 27, 2025

University of Bern, ExWi, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland

Conference

D·A·CH 2025 - Meteorology Conference - Weather and Climate in Focus

D·A·CH 2025 aims to bring together academics and professionals from industry and administration and from all fields of weather and climate. It takes place 23 – 28 June 2025 in Bern.

D·A·CH 2025

Su Fr

August 24, 2025

until August 29, 2025

Congressi Stefano Franscini, Monte Verità, Ascona, Switzerland

Summer School

Swiss Climate Summer School 2025 - Sustainable pathways to net zero

Tu Th

September 2, 2025

until September 4, 2025

University of Bern, Switzerland

Conference

ContaSed 2025 - 3rd International Conference on Contaminated Sediments

ContaSed 2025

Contact

University of Bern
Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research

Hochschulstrasse 4
3rd floor WEST
3012 Bern

Phone: +41 31 684 31 45