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The Misallocation of Climate Research Funding

This report highlights the need for stronger, more rigorous social science research, as current studies often lack consistency, clear methods, and real-world relevance. It also stresses that research priorities should better align with major sources of emissions and pressing mitigation challenges, rather than less impactful topics.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Creator Academic Journal
Summary The window of opportunity for mitigating climate change is narrow. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C will require rapid and deep alteration of attitudes, norms, incentives, and politics. Some of the key climate-change and energy transition puzzles are therefore in the realm of the social sciences. However, these are precisely the f ields that receive least funding for climate-related research. This article analyzes a new dataset of research grants from 333 donors around the world spanning 4.3 million awards with a cumulative value of USD 1.3 trillion from 1950 to 2021. Between 1990 and 2018, the natural and technical sciences received 770% more funding than the social sciences for research on issues related to climate change. Only 0.12% of all research funding was spent on the social science of climate mitigation.
Local Relevance This report is relevant to northern and remote communities, where effective climate action depends on understanding local behaviours, governance, and social priorities.
Notes
Tags Research,Policy
Geographic Region NWT
Release Date 2025-12-18
Last Modified Date 2025-12-18
Funding Program