Analysis of Research Trends and Characteristics of Climate Change and Carbon Neutrality Experts at Seoul National University

Research and practice aimed at achieving carbon neutrality cannot be approached by a single academic discipline. Instead, integrative and comprehensive research across various fields, such as natural sciences, engineering, and social sciences, is essential. Accordingly, achieving carbon neutrality requires multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research that encompasses a scientific understanding of climate change, solutions, and implementation systems across natural sciences, engineering, and social sciences. However, education, research, and policy activities related to carbon neutrality within the university are often conducted within the limited scope of departments or colleges, lacking a comprehensive and holistic approach at the university-wide level. As a world-class research-focused and comprehensive university, Seoul National University urgently needs to establish a network for integrated research on climate change and carbon neutrality. Therefore, this study was conducted to gather basic information for the establishment of a climate change and carbon neutrality convergence network at Seoul National University. 128 experts participated in the survey, and the results revealed that active research is being conducted across various fields, including technology development, policy research, climate science, and humanities and social sciences. Notably, significant research activity was observed in technology development and climate science, with policy research and humanities and social sciences also playing crucial roles. Based on the results of this study, three policy recommendations were proposed: enhancing information sharing and collaboration opportunities, establishing a multidisciplinary research network, and promoting a virtual university platform. These recommendations aim to further develop the research at Seoul National University in a more integrated and collaborative manner and serve as a valuable foundation for achieving carbon neutrality and addressing climate change goals domestically and internationally.