Assessing the training needs of climate scientists: The role of the World Climate Research Programme Academy

Abstract

Climate education is vital for developing climate solutions that address the Paris Accord and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. However, climate education amongst scientists from the Global South is generally lower than their Global North counterparts. Training, capacity development, and access to similar opportunities are necessary but currently insufficient to level the playing field for skills and participation in the advancement of climate science. This study presents the results of two global stocktake surveys conducted by the World Climate Research Programme Academy (WCRP Academy) and examines the availability and accessibility of climate training opportunities. Global North respondents felt that training in their region was adequate to allow researchers to work effectively on climate science problems. In contrast, respondents from the Global South felt opportunities in their region were lacking and sought additional training regardless of career stage. Globally, early-career researchers and women were most interested in available climate training but have the least access to opportunities. To address these issues, the WCRP Academy aims to increase the visibility of climate science training opportunities via a web-based platform and provide insights to the global scientific community on the climate training needs of scientists based on specific demographic characteristics and preferences. Our findings identify inequities in opportunities and access to development and training required by the global scientific community to meet global climate challenges.