The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change serves as a central and authoritative source of independent, science-based advice for EU climate policymaking. Apart from being simply a knowledge broker, the Board has also worked to establish its external reputation through outreach and stakeholder engagement. The Board's perception among stakeholders is a critical enabler of its mission and ability to impact EU climate policy. In short: trust and confidence in the Board are foundational to the credibility of its recommendations and its voice in EU climate policy discourse.

Objective: First-term internal qualitative reputation analysis

Ecologic Institute was commissioned by the European Environment Agency (EEA) to conduct an internal qualitative reputation analysis of the Advisory Board at the end of its first term. The aim was to investigate how relevant stakeholder groups perceived the Board's overall reputation and stakeholder outreach efforts across five benchmarks: relevance, credibility, consensus, balance, and timeliness.

Implementation: Expert interviews with a diversity of stakeholders

The analysis derived actionable insights and key narratives from over 30 expert interviews with key stakeholders from EU and national institutions, civil society organizations, academic partners, and business associations. Findings were synthesized into an internal report for the Secretariat and the Board for use in supporting strategic decisions on public-facing outreach for the 2026 work programme, the second term, and beyond in line with the Board's Stakeholder Engagement Policy.

Guiding strategic decisions in the Board's second term

The output of this project supported the Secretariat in ensuring that the Board's external interactions remain aligned with its mandate (as per the European Climate Law) and that its outputs and activities are perceived as relevant, professional, and meaningful by external actors.