Germany to back up U.S. climate data amid fears of political interference
Germany's national climate computing center in Hamburg is expanding storage to keep backup copies of U.S. climate simulations. The effort is driven by concerns that the Trump administration could delete, block access to, or alter federal climate data needed for the next U.N. climate assessment in 2029. German science funders say U.S. withdrawal from U.N. climate bodies and cuts to research have made such safeguards necessary.
Hamburg’s DKRZ already holds 254 petabytes of climate simulation data. New hardware will add roughly 5 petabytes, enough for about 200 million high-resolution images per petabyte. The CMIP7-ark effort is one of several German-funded projects, including SHIELD and SEND, meant to preserve U.S. datasets for the 2029 IPCC assessment.
Germany’s main research funding body allocated $35 million in late 2025 for safe storage of open U.S. climate records. U.S. officials left the IPCC and UNFCCC in January, while American researchers continue contributing. Other vulnerable records include Mauna Loa’s long-running atmospheric carbon dioxide measurements, which the administration sought to close.
This effort may affect climate researchers, policymakers, and communities relying on long-term environmental records. If U.S. datasets remain accessible through backups, the 2029 assessment could retain a fuller evidence base, supporting adaptation and risk planning. Conversely, uncertainty about data continuity could slow research, complicate international cooperation, and leave some regions with less reliable information for decisions about infrastructure, agriculture, and disaster preparedness.