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Julia Schmale

julia.schmale@epfl.ch https://eerl.epfl.ch

EPFL Valais Wallis
EPFL ENAC IEE EERL
Route des Ronquos 86
1951 Sion

EPFL Valais Wallis
EPFL ENAC IEE EERL
Route des Ronquos 86
1951 Sion

EPFL Valais Wallis
EPFL ENAC IEE EERL
Route des Ronquos 86
1951 Sion

Expertise

atmospheric science, aerosol-cloud interactions, climate change in polar regions

Mission

Extreme environments are particularly sensitive to climate change and are transforming at accelerated rates. This can have important global repercussions. EERL aims to create integrated process understanding by investigating interactions between the atmosphere, cryosphere, biosphere, ocean, land and anthroposphere. The goal is to characterize climate-change relevant and vertically-resolved processes that are directly influenced by humans, and natural processes that are simultaneously undergoing change due to climate forcing. The enhanced process understanding will enable us to better simulate the fate of extreme environments in the context of global change and resulting implications for society. 

Current Work

Arctic and Antarctic research projects

Awards

SIE Best Teacher Award

Environmental Science and Engineering Section

2023

SMT Best Teacher Award

Enterprise 4 Society SMT Master Program

2024

Publications

2026

Journal Articles

Composition and Dynamics of the Planetary Boundary Layer in Cold and Dark Atmospheres: Meteorological Overview from the ALPACA-2022 Field Experiment

G. J. Fochesatto; K. S. Law; J. Schmale; S. Decesari; W. R. Simpson  et al.

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 2026. DOI : 10.1175/bams-d-23-0018.1.

Contrasting Anthropogenic Drivers Behind Asymmetric Warming in the Arctic and Antarctica

B. Swain; M. Vountas; A. Singh; U. Panda; R. Song  et al.

Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research. 2026. DOI : 10.34133/olar.0127.

2025

Journal Articles

Calving-driven fjord dynamics resolved by seafloor fibre sensing

D. Gräff; B. P. Lipovsky; A. Vieli; A. Dachauer; R. H. Jackson  et al.

Nature. 2025. DOI : 10.1038/s41586-025-09347-7.

Data-driven modeling of environmental factors influencing Arctic methanesulfonic acid aerosol concentrations

J. B. Pernov; W. Aeberhard; M. Volpi; E. Harris; B. Hohermuth  et al.

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 2025. DOI : 10.5194/acp-25-6497-2025.

Characteristics and effects of aerosols during blowing snow events in the central Arctic

N. Bergner; B. J. L. Heutte; I. F. Beck; J. B. Pernov; H. Angot  et al.

Elem Sci Anth. 2025. DOI : 10.1525/elementa.2024.00047.

Insights of aerosol-precipitation nexus in the central Arctic through CMIP6 climate models Check for updates

B. Swain; M. Vountas; A. Singh; N. Anchan; C. Reddy Malasani  et al.

Npj Climate And Atmospheric Science. 2025. DOI : 10.1038/s41612-025-00957-6.

Observations of high-time-resolution and size-resolved aerosol chemical composition and microphysics in the central Arctic: implications for climate-relevant particle properties

B. J. L. Heutte; N. Bergner; H. Angot; J. B. Pernov; L. Dada  et al.

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 2025. DOI : 10.5194/acp-25-2207-2025.

Working Papers

Vertically-resolved source contributions to climate-relevant aerosol properties in Southern Greenlandic fjord systems

J. Alden; N. Bergner; B. Heutte; L. Favre; M. Surdu  et al.

2025

Aerosol dry deposition fluxes on snow during the ALPACA campaign in Fairbanks, Alaska

A. Donateo; G. Pappaccogli; F. Scoto; M. Busetto; F. L. Lovisco  et al.

2025

Talks

What have we learned from one year of aerosol observations in the central Arctic during the MOSAiC expedition?

J. Schmale; B. Heutte; N. Bergner; I. Beck; L. Dada  et al.

EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 2024-04-14 - 2024-04-19.

Vertical measurements of aerosols in the high Arctic during the winter-spring transition using a tethered balloon

R. F. A. Calmer; L. Favre; B. Dönmez; J. Dyson; R. Pohorsky  et al.

EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 2025-04-27 - 2025-05-02.

Investigating processes affecting wintertime air pollution variability and estimating contributions of power plant emissions relative to the surface in the stratified Arctic boundary layer

N. Brett; K. S. Law; S. R. Arnold; B. Barrett; E. Dieudonné  et al.

EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 2024-04-14 - 2024-04-19.

Aerosol size distribution variability over the Southern Ocean: implications for cloud droplet number concentrations

J. Schmale; A. Nenes; I. Thurnherr; S. Henning; C. Tatzelt  et al.

EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 2024-04-14 - 2024-04-19.

Analysis of the vertical dispersion of pollution layers in the urban Arctic during the ALPACA 2022 field campaign

R. Pohorsky; A. Baccarini; B. Barret; N. Brett; S. Bekki  et al.

EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 2024-04-14 - 2024-04-19.

SLIDE - Southern Latitudes Island Dispersal Evaluation

D. A. Pearce; L. Cockerton; L. Malard; J. Schmale; P. Convey

EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 2024-04-14 - 2024-04-19.

2024

Journal Articles

An Arctic Marine Source of Fluorescent Primary Biological Aerosol Particles During the Transition from Summer to Autumn at the North Pole

J. Kojoj; G. Pereira Freitas; M. Muilwijk; M. A. Granskog; T. Naakka  et al.

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology. 2024. DOI : 10.16993/tellusb.1880.

Links between atmospheric aerosols and sea state in the Arctic Ocean

A. Moallemi; A. Alberello; I. Thurnherr; G. Li; Z. Kanji  et al.

Atmospheric Environment. 2024. DOI : 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2024.120844.

Quantifying the impact of urban trees on air quality in Geneva, Switzerland

D. Kofel; I. Bourgeois; R. Paganini; A. Pulfer; C. Grossiord  et al.

Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 2024. DOI : 10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128513.

Characteristics and sources of fluorescent aerosols in the central Arctic Ocean

I. F. Beck; A. Moallemi; B. J. L. Heutte; J. B. Pernov; N. Bergner  et al.

Elem Sci Anth. 2024. DOI : 10.1525/elementa.2023.00125.

Working Papers

Warm and moist air intrusions drive black carbon deposition and accelerate central Arctic snowmelt

H. Angot; M. Réveillet; L. Dada; H. Jacobi; S. D. Archer  et al.

2024

Student Projects

Ceilometer data processing and analysis

G. A. Soldati

2024

2023

Journal Articles

Widespread detection of chlorine oxyacids in the Arctic atmosphere

Y. J. Tham; N. Sarnela; S. Iyer; Q. Li; H. Angot  et al.

Nature Communications. 2023. DOI : 10.1038/s41467-023-37387-y.

Snow Loss Into Leads in Arctic Sea Ice: Minimal in Typical Wintertime Conditions, but High During a Warm and Windy Snowfall Event

D. Clemens‐Sewall; C. Polashenski; M. M. Frey; C. J. Cox; M. A. Granskog  et al.

Geophysical Research Letters. 2023. DOI : 10.1029/2023GL102816.

Modelling the coupled mercury-halogen-ozone cycle in the central Arctic during spring

S. Ahmed; J. L. Thomas; H. Angot; A. Dommergue; S. D. Archer  et al.

Elem Sci Anth (Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene). 2023. DOI : 10.1525/elementa.2022.00129.

Measurements of aerosol microphysical and chemical properties in the central Arctic atmosphere during MOSAiC

B. Heutte; N. Bergner; I. Beck; H. Angot; L. Dada  et al.

Scientific Data. 2023. DOI : 10.1038/s41597-023-02586-1.

Untangling the influence of Antarctic and Southern Ocean life on clouds

M. D. Mallet; R. S. Humphries; S. L. Fiddes; S. P. Alexander; K. Altieri  et al.

Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene. 2023. DOI : 10.1525/elementa.2022.00130.

Posters

Climatic and Ecological Impact of Greenlandic Glacial Outwash Plains

G. E. Marsh; G. Lenczner; N. Bergner; I. Altshuler; D. Tuia  et al.

DACH Geobiology Symposium, Jena, Germany, October 12-13, 2023.

Ecological and Climate Impacts of Greenlandic Glacial Outwash Plains (ECO-Plains)

G. E. Marsh; G. Lenczner; N. Bergner; I. Altshuler; D. Tuia  et al.

ENAC Research Day 2023, Lausanne, Switzerland, 2023-09-07.

Aerosol microphysics and chemical composition in the central Arctic atmosphere during the MOSAiC expedition

B. Heutte; N. Bergner; I. F. Beck; H. Angot; L. Dada  et al.

International MOSAiC Science Conference/Workshop (2023), Boulder, USA, February 13-17, 2023.

Talks

Sources and seasonality of fluorescent aerosols in the Arctic

I. Beck; K. Barry; N. Bergner; B. J. L. Heutte; J. Creamean  et al.

2nd International MOSAiC science conference 2023, Boulder, CO, USA, February 13-17, 2023.

Student Projects

Validation and climatology of ERA5 using in-situ observations in the Arctic

J. Gros-Daillon

2023

Analysis of in situ and remote sensing vertical measurements of aerosol properties in the Rhône valley

R. Phan

2023

URBTREES – Quantifying and mapping the impact of urban trees on air quality in Geneva, Switzerland

D. Kofel

2023

Datasets

Temperature and relative humidity in 10 min time resolution measured in the interstitial inlet of the Swiss container during MOSAiC 2019/2020

B. Heutte; Beck ivo; L. Quéléver; T. Jokinen; T. Laurila  et al.

2023.

Bulk size-resolved chemical composition and mass concentration of non-refractory submicron aerosols measured in the Swiss container during MOSAiC 2019/2020

B. Heutte; L. Dada; H. Angot; K. R. Daellenbach; I. El Haddad  et al.

2023.

Temperature and relative humidity in 10 min time resolution measured in the total inlet of the Swiss container during MOSAiC 2019/2020

B. Heutte; I. F. Beck; L. Quéléver; T. Jokinen; T. Laurila  et al.

2023.

Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) concentrations measured in the Swiss container during MOSAiC 2019/2020

N. Bergner; B. Heutte; H. Angot; L. Dada; I. Beck  et al.

2023.

Aerosol optical absorption coefficients at seven wavelengths in 10 min resolution measured in the Swiss container during MOSAiC 2019/2020

B. Heutte; I. Beck; L. Quéléver; T. Jokinen; T. Laurila  et al.

2023.

2022

Journal Articles

Clean air policies are key for successfully mitigating Arctic warming

K. von Salzen; C. H. Whaley; S. C. Anenberg; R. Van Dingenen; Z. Klimont  et al.

Communications Earth & Environment. 2022. DOI : 10.1038/s43247-022-00555-x.

Using Novel Molecular-Level Chemical Composition Observations of High Arctic Organic Aerosol for Predictions of Cloud Condensation Nuclei

K. Siegel; A. Neuberger; L. Karlsson; P. Zieger; F. Mattsson  et al.

Environmental Science & Technology. 2022. DOI : 10.1021/acs.est.2c02162.

Substantial contribution of iodine to Arctic ozone destruction

N. Benavent; A. S. Mahajan; Q. Li; C. A. Cuevas; J. Schmale  et al.

Nature Geoscience. 2022. DOI : 10.1038/s41561-022-01018-w.

A central arctic extreme aerosol event triggered by a warm air-mass intrusion

L. Dada; H. Angot; I. F. Beck; A. Baccarini; L. L. J. Quéléver  et al.

Nature Communications. 2022. DOI : 10.1038/s41467-022-32872-2.

Automated identification of local contamination in remote atmospheric composition time series

I. Beck; H. Angot; A. Baccarini; L. Dada; L. Quelever  et al.

Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. 2022. DOI : 10.5194/amt-15-4195-2022.

Pan-Arctic seasonal cycles and long-term trends of aerosol properties from 10 observatories

J. Schmale; S. Sharma; S. Decesari; J. Pernov; A. Massling  et al.

Atmospheric Chemistry And Physics. 2022. DOI : 10.5194/acp-22-3067-2022.

Highly Active Ice‐Nucleating Particles at the Summer North Pole

G. C. E. Porter; M. P. Adams; I. M. Brooks; L. Ickes; L. Karlsson  et al.

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 2022. DOI : 10.1029/2021JD036059.

Elucidating the present-day chemical composition, seasonality and source regions of climate-relevant aerosols across the Arctic land surface

V. Moschos; J. Schmale; W. Aas; S. Becagli; G. Calzolai  et al.

Environmental Research Letters. 2022. DOI : 10.1088/1748-9326/ac444b.

Equal abundance of summertime natural and wintertime anthropogenic Arctic organic aerosols

V. Moschos; K. Dzepina; D. Bhattu; H. Lamkaddam; R. Casotto  et al.

Nature Geoscience. 2022. DOI : 10.1038/s41561-021-00891-1.

Year-round trace gas measurements in the central Arctic during the MOSAiC expedition

H. Angot; B. Blomquist; D. Howard; L. Bariteau; I. F. Beck  et al.

Scientific Data. 2022. DOI : 10.1038/s41597-022-01769-6.

Book Chapters

Aerosol processes in high-latitude environments and the effects on climate

A. Ekmann; J. Schmale

Aerosols and Climate; Elsevier, 2022.

Datasets

Equivalent black carbon concentration in 10 minutes time resolution, measured in the Swiss container during MOSAiC 2019/2020

B. Heutte; I. Beck; L. Quéléver; T. Jokinen; T. Laurila  et al.

2022.

2021

Journal Articles

Low‐Volatility Vapors and New Particle Formation Over the Southern Ocean During the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition

A. Baccarini; J. Dommen; K. Lehtipalo; S. Henning; R. L. Modini  et al.

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 2021. DOI : 10.1029/2021JD035126.

New Insights Into the Composition and Origins of Ultrafine Aerosol in the Summertime High Arctic

M. J. Lawler; E. S. Saltzman; L. Karlsson; P. Zieger; M. Salter  et al.

Geophysical Research Letters. 2021. DOI : 10.1029/2021GL094395.

Differentiation of coarse-mode anthropogenic, marine and dust particles in the High Arctic islands of Svalbard

C. Song; M. Dall'Osto; A. Lupi; M. Mazzola; R. Traversi  et al.

Atmospheric Chemistry And Physics. 2021. DOI : 10.5194/acp-21-11317-2021.

Posters

Impact Of Warm Air Mass Intrusions On Atmospheric Chemistry And Microphysics

L. Dada; I. F. Beck; L. L. Quéléver; A. Baccarini; H. Angot  et al.

American Geoscience Union 2021 (AGU Fall Meeting 2021), New Orleans, LA & Online Everywhere, USA, December 13-17, 2021.

Automated identification of local contamination in an Arctic aerosol time series

I. Beck; A. Baccarini; H. Angot; L. Dada; L. Quélever  et al.

European Aerosol Conference (EAC 2021), [virtual event], August 30 - September ,3 2021.

Talks

Chemical and Microphysical State of the Central Arctic Atmosphere

H. Angot; L. Dada; I. Beck; T. Jokinen; T. Laurila  et al.

American Geoscience Union 2021 (AGU Fall Meeting 2021), New Orleans, LA & Online Everywhere, USA, December 13-17, 2021.

MoMuCAMS – A newly developed Helikite-based modular platform for aerosol and trace gas vertical measurements

R. Pohorsky; A. Baccarini; J. Schmale

European Aerosol Conference (EAC 2021), [virtual event], 30 August - 3 September 2021.

Artic Integrated Urban Systems Twin cities – GURME initiative” session

A. Baklanov; J. Schmale; P. Konstantivov; A. Mahura; T. Petäjä  et al.

PACES 4th Open Science Meeting, [online], 26- 28 May 2021.

Impact of warm air mass intrusions on atmospheric chemistry and microphysics: Observations during MOSAiC

J. Schmale; L. Dada; I. Beck; T. Jokinen; L. Quéléver  et al.

EGU General Assembly 2021 (EGU 2021), online, April 19-30, 2021.

2020

Journal Articles

Frequent new particle formation over the high Arctic pack ice by enhanced iodine emissions

A. Baccarini; L. Karlsson; J. Dommen; P. Duplessis; J. Vüllers  et al.

Nature Communications. 2020. DOI : 10.1038/s41467-020-18551-0.

Black Carbon Aerosols in the Lower Free Troposphere are Heavily Coated in Summer but Largely Uncoated in Winter at Jungfraujoch in the Swiss Alps

G. Motos; J. C. Corbin; J. Schmale; R. L. Modini; M. Bertò  et al.

Geophysical Research Letters. 2020. DOI : 10.1029/2020GL088011.

Fostering multidisciplinary research on interactions between chemistry, biology, and physics within the coupled cryosphere-atmosphere system

J. L. Thomas; J. Stutz; M. M. Frey; T. Bartels-Rausch; K. Altieri  et al.

Elementa-Science Of The Anthropocene. 2020. DOI : 10.1525/elementa.396.

Posters

Air ions and new particle formation during polar night in the Arctic Ocean

M. Lampimäki; T. Chan; T. Laurila; J. Lamilahti; L. Quelever  et al.

EAC 2020 European Aerosol Conference, Aachen, Germany (online), August 2020.

Talks

What are the sources of CCN over the Southern Ocean and how sensitive is cloud formation to CCN?

J. Schmale; A. Nenes; C. Tatzelt; A. Efraim; S. Henning  et al.

ECA 2020 European Aerosol Conference, Aachen, Germany (online conference), August 31 – September 4, 2020.

Datasets

Size distribution of interstitial and total particles between 18 and 660 nm collected during the Arctic Ocean 2018 expedition

A. Baccarini; J. Schmale

2020.

ERA-5 reanalysis results interpolated onto the five-minute average cruise track of the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (ACE) during the austral summer of 2016/2017

M. Volpi; S. Landwehr; J. Thomas; J. Schmale

2020.

One-minute average horizontal wind velocity data (which has been corrected for air-flow distortion) from the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (ACE) 2016/2017 legs 0 to 4

S. Landwehr; J. Thomas; J. Schmale

2020.

Frequent new particle formation over the high Arctic pack ice by enhanced iodine emissions, ancillary data

A. Baccarini; J. Schmale; J. Dommen; P. Zieger; L. Karlsson

2020.

Five-minute average horizontal wind velocity data combined from both sensors (which has been corrected for air-flow distortion) from the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (ACE) 2016/2017 legs 0 to 4

S. Landwehr; J. Thomas; J. Schmale

2020.

Size distribution of neutral and charged particles smaller than 42 nm collected during the Arctic Ocean 2018 expedition

A. Baccarini; J. Schmale; J. Dommen

2020.

Size distribution of aerosol particles between 2.5 and 920 nm measured during the Arctic Ocean 2018 expedition

A. Baccarini; J. Schmale; J. Dommen; L. Karlsson; P. Zieger

2020.

Ozone concentration measured during the Arctic Ocean 2018 expedition

A. Baccarini; J. Schmale; J. Dommen

2020.

Iodic acid, sulfuric acid and methanesulfonic acid collected during the Arctic Ocean 2018 expedition

A. Baccarini; J. Schmale; J. Dommen

2020.

2019

Journal Articles

Variation of Ice Nucleating Particles in the European Arctic Over the Last Centuries

M. Hartmann; T. Blunier; S. Brügger; J. Schmale; M. Schwikowski  et al.

Geophysical Research Letters. 2019. DOI : 10.1029/2019GL082311.

Overview of the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition: Study of Preindustrial-like Aerosols and Their Climate Effects (ACE-SPACE)

A. Baccarini; J. Schmale; I. Thurnherr; S. Henning; A. Efraim  et al.

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 2019. DOI : 10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0187.1.

Cloud droplet activation properties and scavenged fraction of black carbon in liquid-phase clouds at the high-alpine research station Jungfraujoch (3580 m a.s.l.)

G. Motos; J. Schmale; J. C. Corbin; R. L. Modini; N. Karlen  et al.

Atmospheric Chemistry And Physics. 2019. DOI : 10.5194/acp-19-3833-2019.

2018

Journal Articles

Long-term monitoring of black carbon across Germany

R. D. Kutzner; E. von Schneidemesser; F. Kuik; J. Quedenau; E. C. Weatherhead  et al.

Atmospheric Environment. 2018. DOI : 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.04.039.

Long-term cloud condensation nuclei number concentration, particle number size distribution and chemical composition measurements at regionally representative observatories

J. Schmale; S. Henning; S. Decesari; B. Henzing; H. Keskinen  et al.

Atmospheric Chemistry And Physics. 2018. DOI : 10.5194/acp-18-2853-2018.

2017

Journal Articles

A survey on the perceived need and value of decision-support tools for joint mitigation of air pollution and climate change in cities

E. Von Schneidemesser; R. D. Kutzner; J. Schmale

Elementa Science of the Anthropocene. 2017. DOI : 10.1525/elementa.126.

2016

Journal Articles

Sustainable policy—key considerations for air quality and climate change

M. L. Melamed; J. Schmale; E. von Schneidemesser

Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. 2016. DOI : 10.1016/j.cosust.2016.12.003.

2015

Journal Articles

Short-term solutions

J. Schmale

Nature Climate Change. 2015. DOI : 10.1038/nclimate2897.

An Integrated Assessment Method for Sustainable Transport System Planning in a Middle Sized German City

J. Schmale; E. von Schneidemesser; A. Dörrie

Sustainability. 2015. DOI : 10.3390/su7021329.

2014

Journal Articles

New Directions: Support for integrated decision-making in air and climate policies – Development of a metrics-based information portal

J. Schmale; J. van Aardenne; E. von Schneidemesser

Atmospheric Environment. 2014. DOI : 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.03.016.

2011

Journal Articles

Source identification and airborne chemical characterisation of aerosol pollution from long-range transport over Greenland during POLARCAT summer campaign 2008

J. Schmale; J. Schneider; G. Ancellet; B. Quennehen; A. Stohl  et al.

Atmospheric Chemistry And Physics. 2011. DOI : 10.5194/acp-11-10097-2011.

2010

Journal Articles

Aerosol layers from the 2008 eruptions of Mount Okmok and Mount Kasatochi: In situ upper troposphere and lower stratosphere measurements of sulfate and organics over Europe

J. Schmale; J. Schneider; T. Jurkat; C. Voigt; H. Kalesse  et al.

Journal of Geophysical Research. 2010. DOI : 10.1029/2009JD013628.

In-situ observations of young contrails – overview and selected results from the CONCERT campaign

C. Voigt; U. Schumann; T. Jurkat; D. Schäuble; H. Schlager  et al.

Atmospheric Chemistry And Physics. 2010. DOI : 10.5194/acp-10-9039-2010.

Airborne stratospheric ITCIMS measurements of SO2, HCl, and HNO3in the aged plume of volcano Kasatochi

T. Jurkat; C. Voigt; F. Arnold; H. Schlager; H. Aufmhoff  et al.

Journal of Geophysical Research. 2010. DOI : 10.1029/2010JD013890.

Research

Current Research Fields

polar aerosol processes

Teaching & PhD

PhD Students

Berkay Dönmez, Yolanda Temel, Nora Bergner, Benjamin Jérémy Laurent Heutte, Henrik Tasman Helmig, Sristi Shamarthi Das

Past EPFL PhD Students

Ivo Fabio Beck, Roman Pohorsky

Courses

Physics and chemistry of the atmosphere

ENV-320

The course provides an introduction to the physical and chemical processes that govern the atmospheric dynamics at small and large scales. The basis is laid for an in depth understanding of our atmospheric environment and the climate system.

Science of climate change

ENV-410

The course equips students with a comprehensive scientific understanding of climate change covering a wide range of topics from physical principles, historical climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, the IPCC assessment to future scenarios and climate action.