Across Europe, national climate advisory bodies exist in many shapes and forms. Most countries have one or more such institutions. While many of the existing advisory bodies bring together a range of stakeholders and cover a broad range of sustainability issues, over the past five years there has been a surge in the creation of independent scientific councils, dedicated to climate policy.

The number of scientific climate advisory bodies is growing rapidly across European countries, including the establishment of one at the EU-level. Under the right conditions, such expert councils can help governments not only make the right climate policy decisions but also hold them accountable by boosting transparency and tracking the success (or failures) of national actions.

This project sought to boost the capabilities of climate advisory bodies across Europe through a knowledge-exchange dialogue. Key players involved were mainly independent scientific councils composed of research and academic community members. The focus was to uncover insights and challenges these bodies face in aiding policy-makers develop proactive climate policy, while also identifying means for ongoing engagement.