Rate My Professor Julia Pongratz

Pongratz’s research examines human-climate-vegetation feedbacks in the past and future, drivers of anthropogenic emissions, vegetation, climate, and Earth system modeling, as well as land management to mitigate climate change and achieve sustainability synergies. She has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers, including 19 in Nature and Science journals, such as the Global Carbon Budget annual reports (2017–2023, Earth System Science Data) and contributions to IPCC Assessment Reports as an author for Working Group 1 (Physical Science Basis) and Working Group 3 (Mitigation). Since 2017, she coordinates land-use emissions estimates for the Global Carbon Budget and contributes to UNEP Emissions Gap Reports. Her accolades include election to the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (2025), Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate (2020, 2023–2025), Bavarian Academy of Sciences (2024), LMU Teaching Innovation Awards (2020, 2022, 2023), Otto Hahn Medal (2009), and others. She chairs the CDRterra research program, advises the German government via the Scientific Advisory Board on Nature-based Solutions (since 2024) and the Council of Experts on Climate Change (since 2025), and serves on the Board of Reviewing Editors at Science, steering committees for C4MIP, LUMIP, and CDRMIP, and Future Earth’s Global Carbon Project and AIMES.