Clemens Schwingshackl receives Arnold Sommerfeld Prize

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Dr. Clemens Schwingshackl receives the Arnold Sommerfeld Prize for Natural and Technical Sciences in 2025 for his scientific findings and successful efforts to apply research results to climate protection. The prize is awarded annually by the Bavarian Academy of Sciences.

Climate and ecosystem researcher Clemens Schwingshackl develops innovative models to precisely capture the interactions between humans, climate, and the environment. His work on quantifying carbon sources and sinks is fundamental to climate policy and greenhouse gas balances and contributes significantly to international projects such as the Global Carbon Budget. His outstanding creativity in terms of methodology and content, and his constant commitment to integrating international teams for an ever more comprehensive data analysis, have led to a breakthrough in the robust quantification of terrestrial carbon sources and sinks and represent a significant advance in terms of the knowledge base for political decision-making. As a member of the core team of the Global Carbon Budget (GCB) and co-leader of GCB’s land-use emissions assessment, he bears an exceptionally high level of responsibility for the success of this international consortium and makes an indispensable contribution to it.