Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change

The Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) conducts research and fosters dialogue about how the global commons, such as the atmosphere and the oceans, might be used and shared by many yet nevertheless be protected. In 2021, The International Center for Climate Governance ranks MCC among the top ten think tanks worldwide for the fourth consecutive year. Based in Berlin, the institute was founded in 2012 by Stiftung Mercator and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The research team is composed of an interdisciplinary group of scientists from economics and the social sciences. Directed by the climate economist Ottmar Edenhofer, MCC currently employs some 50 staff. In 2015 the MCC was designated as the world's second best climate think tank. The work of MCC falls into two main areas: research and policy dialogue. The aim is to gain interdisciplinary insights and to provide a basis for decision-making in politics, industry and civil society. The theme spanning across all the work is the global commons (i.e., natural resources such as the atmosphere, land, oceans and forests) and the premise that international cooperation is indispensable for the sustainable use of the commons. For example, when the atmosphere is understood as a global commons, it is seen to belong to everybody despite its physical presence at the national, local and regional levels. In this case, overarching rules are needed to prevent this resource from being overused (see "tragedy of the commons"). Other examples include the overfishing of the oceans or the exploitation of wildlife. The lack of availability of public goods, which provide access to health care, education, clean water and much more, the so-called social commons, comprises a core focus of the work of MCC. Based on scientific findings, potential solutions are identified, evaluated and provided. The research of MCC is divided into seven working groups and one task force: Economic growth and human development: Analysis of the relationships between economic growth, greenhouse gas emissions and resource consumption.