EERIE storylines: approaches and outputs to inform policy

To study uncertainty in the physical components of climate, the physical climate storylines (PCS) have come to the forefront in climate science. A deepened process understanding of these components is critical not only to explain past climate but also to explore future climate and consequent weather events. As conditional pathways of climate phenomena are generated, hazards, impacts and responses can be simulated. Such advancements in scientific knowledge can inform domains outside of climate science, especially when directed towards risk assessments and adaptation management. As one of EERIE’s objectives is actionable climate information, six storylines have been generated during the project's running. Two workshops, one internal and one external, determined the challenges and opportunities from technical and policy perspectives. First, actionable climate information needs to go beyond providing better evidence by being translated into narratives, incentives and governance structures. Second, adaptation works best when it is proactive, place-based and socially embedded. Third, language and framing can shape whether policymakers and the public see action as necessary, feasible and legitimate. Using these recommendations, an AI chatbot-integrated specification sheet for reviewing storyline work was built upon a narrative-driven research framework and storyline archetype selection, bringing EERIE’s ocean mesoscale eddies closer to policy.