Climate and environmental sciences

Researchers at the Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l’environnement (LSCE) (research institute managed jointly by the CEA, CNRS and University of Versailles Saint-Quentin), study climate variability on all time scales with a view to understanding the impact of human activities on the environment. LSCE teams analyze the main factors of the climatic cycle (carbon, greenhouse gases, aerosols) and model the interaction mechanisms between the various components (atmosphere, ocean, ice caps) in order to predict the evolution of the climate in the 21st century.

Measurement of atmospheric carbon content in Greenland (Credit: CEA) The results achieved by the LSCE place it at the forefront in its field. Several LSCE teams participate in the activities of the Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC), which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. At the European level, the LSCE coordinates the ICOS program (future European infrastructure for research on greenhouse gas emissions). In the Paris region, it manages the 'Climate-Environment-Society' scientific interest group devoted to research on climate change and its societal impacts.