Dr. phil. Torsten Grothmann

A05-0-027

+49 441 798-4537

Dr. phil. Torsten Grothmann

Research associate in the projects AGELESS and ENaQ-II at the Chair of Ecological Economics

 

Research interests

  • Design, process and impact evaluation of participation processes in sustainability research and environmental governance (e.g. with regard to social learning and motivation effects on environmental behavior)
  • Sustainability communication, design and evaluation of communication instruments (especially for the promotion of climate change adaptation and mitigation)
  • Adaptation to climate change (e.g. household preparedness, adaptation governance)
  • Climate resilience, vulnerability and adaptive capacity
  • Health (e.g. climate anxiety, prevention behavior)
  • Natural hazard preparedness (e.g. preparedness behavior for flood events or heatwaves)
  • Nature conservation and biodiversity (e.g. in oceans or cities)
  • Climate change mitigation (e.g. energy-efficient neighborhood development)

Curriculum vitae (CV)

PROFESSIONAL CAREER
since 01 / 2025: Senior Scientist, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Chair of Ecological Economics
11 / 2021 - 12 / 2024: Senior Scientist, Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW), Berlin
06 / 2017 - 08 / 2023: Senior Scientist, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Chair of Ecological Economics
since 09 / 2009: Independent Researcher and Consultant, Dr. Grothmann - Research & Consulting / e-fect dialog evaluation consulting eG
08 / 2009 - 03 / 2014: Senior Scientist, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Chair of Ecological Economics
07 / 2007 - 04 / 2012: Senior Scientist, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Research group 'Climate Impacts and Vulnerability'
08 / 2006 - 03 / 2008: PostDoc, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Chair of Ecological Economics
09 / 2001 - 06 / 2005: PhD student and Research Fellow, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Department of Social Systems
08 / 2000 - 08 / 2001: Research Fellow, University of Osnabrück, Chair of Industrial and Organizational Psychology 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
09 / 2003 - 01 / 2006: Doctoral studies, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Faculty of Humanities, Social and Educational Sciences
05 / 1996 - 02 / 2000: Training as a moderator and behavioral and communication trainer in adult education; Arbeit, Bildung und Forschung e.V., Berlin
04 / 1995 - 05 / 2000: Psychology major, Freie Universität Berlin; University of California, Irvine
10 / 1992 - 03 / 1995: Undergraduate studies in psychology, University of Bielefeld

Publications

2025:

2024:

  • Grothmann, T., Frick, V., Ruppel, P., Münsch, M., Kettner, S. E. & Thorun, C. (2024). Environmental Awareness Study 2022 - In-depth analyses of the representative main survey. Dessau-Roßlau: Federal Environment Agency (UBA) (ed.). https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/umweltbewusstseinsstudie-2022-vertiefende-analysen
  • Herbeck, L., Grothmann, T., Voßeler, C., & Born, M. (2024). Living labs for heavy rain and flood prevention. In Hagemann, A., Hebbeker, F., Hodgson, A., Hoxha, X., Phuong Ha Nguyen, E., Ribbe, L., & Wilk-Pham, A. (Eds.), Living with water (pp. 75-79). Berlin: Berlin Universities Publishing.
  • Wesselow, M., Grothmann, T., Siebenhüner, B., Scheele, U., & Schäfer, E. (2024). The Role of Citizen Participation in Developing a New Energetically Efficient Quarter - Limitations and Success Factors. In Leonhardt, S., Nusser, T., Görres, J., Rosinger, S., Stryi-Hipp, G., & Eckhard, M. (Eds.), Innovations and challenges of the energy transition in smart city districts (pp. 91 - 107). Berlin/Boston: de Gruyter.

2023:

  • Grothmann, T., Frick, V., Harnisch, R., Münsch, M., Kettner, S. E. & Thorun, C. (2023). Environmental Awareness in Germany 2022. Results of a Representative Population Survey. Berlin and Dessau-Roßlau: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and Federal Environment Agency (UBA) (eds.). https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/umweltbewusstsein-in-deutschland-2022

2022:

  • Herbeck, L., Born, M., Resnikov, N., & Grothmann, T. (2022). Neighbourhood-based participation processes of civil society actors to improve heavy rain and flood prevention. In SynVerZ (Ed.), Real-world laboratories for urban transformation (pp. 19-26). Berlin: SynVerZ.. https://www.nachhaltige-zukunftsstadt.de/new/aktuelles/sammelband-reallabore/
  • Hoffmann, E., Schöpflin, P., Grothmann, T., Müller, R., & Herbeck, L. (2022). Bremen companies in climate change: simulation game method - making impacts tangible and developing adaptation measures. In SynVerZ (Ed.), Real-world laboratories for urban transformation (pp. 69-73). Berlin: SynVerZ. https://www.nachhaltige-zukunftsstadt.de/new/aktuelles/sammelband-reallabore/
  • Dehnhardt, A., Herbeck, L., & Grothmann, T. (2022). Participatory development of cost-benefit analyses for urban climate adaptation - real-world laboratories with administrative staff. In SynVerZ (Ed.), Real-world laboratories for urban transformation (pp. 74-78). Berlin: SynVerZ. https://www.nachhaltige-zukunftsstadt.de/new/aktuelles/sammelband-reallabore/
  • Dehnhardt, A., Grothmann, T., & Wagner, J. (2022). Cost-benefit analysis: What limits its use in policy making and how to make it more usable? A case study on climate change adaptation in Germany. Environmental Science & Policy, 137, 53-60. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901122002465
  • Karrasch, L., Grothmann, T., Michel, T. A., Wesselow, M., Wolter, H., Unger, A., Wegner, A., Giebels, D. & Siebenhüner, B. (2022). Integrating knowledge within and between knowledge types in transdisciplinary sustainability research: Seven case studies and an indicator framework. Environmental Science & Policy, 131, 14-25. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S146290112200020X
  • Grothmann, T. (2022). Participatory instruments to increase urban climate resilience! Evaluation results and recommendations. In Deutscher Städte und Gemeindebund (ed.), Heat, drought and heavy rain - climate resilience in the city of the future (pp. 31-32). Berlin: German Association of Towns and Municipalities. www.dstgb.de/publikationen/dokumentationen/nr-166-klimaresilienz-in-der-stadt-der-zukunft/
  • Born, M., Galwoschus, L., Körner, C., Mundhenke, R., Ritterhoff, J., Hoffmann, E., Rupp, J. & Grothmann, T. (2022). The German Climate Preparedness Portal: Establishing a service to support adaptation to climate change (KlimAdapt) by expanding the knowledge base, concretisation and implementation support. Climate Change 11/2022. Dessau: Federal Environment Agency. www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/das-deutsche-klimavorsorgeportal

2021:

  • Grothmann, T., Michel, T. & Ediz, E. (2021). Practical guide to participatory urban climate resilience. Bremen: BREsilient. bresilient.de/publications/
  • Werg, J. L., Grothmann, T., Löchtefeld, S. (2021). Fostering Self-Protection against Impacts of Heavy Rain at the Municipal Level. Sustainability 13, 7019. doi.org/10.3390/su13137019
  • Grothmann, T. & Michel, T. (2021). Participation for building urban climate resilience? Results from four cities in Germany. In G. Hutter, M. Neubert & R. Ortlepp (Eds.), Building resilience to natural hazards in the context of climate change - knowledge integration, implementation, and learning (pp. 173-208). Berlin: Springer.
  • Siebenhüner, B., Grothmann, T., Huitema, D., Oels, A., Rayner, T. & Turnpenny, J. (2021). Lock-Ins in Climate Adaptation Governance: Conceptual and Empirical Approaches. In R. Djalante & B. Siebenhüner (Eds.), Adaptiveness. Changing Earth System Governance (pp. 127-146). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Born, M., Körner, C., Löchtefeld, S., Werg, J. & Grothmann, T. (2021).
    Testing and evaluation of communication formats to strengthen
    private heavy rain preparedness - The project Regen//Sicher. Climate Change
    07/2021. Dessau: Federal Environment Agency.
    www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/erprobung-evaluierung-von-kommunikationsformaten

2020:

2019:

2018:

  • Grothmann, T. (2018). The perception of climate change and what influences it. Article in the online dossier "Perception of climate change" of the Climate Navigator of the Climate Navigator, Hamburg. www.klimanavigator.eu/dossier/artikel/038715/index.php
  • Grothmann, T. (2018). Ways for climate communication that motivates action - results of psychological research. Promet - Meteorological Training, Issue 101 (Topic of the issue: Climate communication), pp. 15-19.

2017:

  • Grothmann, T. (2017). What motivates people to take precautions? Motivational effects of participation processes in climate change adaptation. Climate Change 20/2017. Dessau: Federal Environment Agency. Open access : www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/medien/421/publikationen/2017-08-31_climate-change_20-2017_motivation-eigenvorsorge.pdf
  • Grothmann, T., Petzold, M., Ndaki, P., Kakembo, V., Siebenhüner, B., Kleyer, M., Yanda, P., & Ndou, N. (2017). Vulnerability Assessment in African Villages under Conditions of Land Use and Climate Change: Case Studies from Mkomazi and Keiskamma. Sustainability 9, 976, doi: 10.3390/su9060976. Open access : www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/6/976
  • Grothmann, T., Leitner, M., Glas, N., & Prutsch, A. (2017). A Five-Steps Methodology to Design Communication Formats That Can Contribute to Behaviour Change: The Example of Communication for Health-Protective Behaviour Among Elderly During Heat Waves. SAGE Open January-March 2017(1): 1-15. open access: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244017692014
  • Grothmann, T. (2017). Psychological cornerstones of successful climate (protection) communication. In I. López (Ed.), CSR and business psychology. Psychological strategies to promote sustainable management decisions and lifestyles (pp. 221-240). Berlin: Springer.

2016:

2015:

2014:

2013:

  • Grothmann, T., Grecksch, K., Winges, M. & Siebenhüner, B. (2013). Assessing institutional capacities to adapt to climate change - integrating psychological dimensions in the Adaptive Capacity Wheel. Nat. Hazards Earth System Sci., 13, 3369-3384. www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/13/3369/2013/nhess-13-3369-2013.pdf
  • Rötzel, S., Schaper, J., Grothmann, T. & Anders, K. (2013). Enlightenment and/or participation. In A. Knierim, S. Baasch & M. Gottschick (Eds.), Participation and climate change - claims, concepts and implementation (pp. 75-81). Munich: oekom verlag.
  • Scherhaufer, P., Grothmann, T. & Lexer, W. (2013). Participation in Regional Integrated Vulnerability Assessments. A critical comparison of 14 case studies in the field of climate change. In A. Knierim, S. Baasch & M. Gottschick (Eds.), Participation and Climate Change - Claims, Concepts and Implementation (pp. 195-214). Munich: oekom verlag.
  • Garrelts, H., Grothmann, T., Grecksch, K., Winges, M., Siebenhüner, B., Flitner, M. (2013). Vulnerability and Climate Adaptation: Challenges of Adaptive Governance in Northwest Germany, 'nordwest2050'- Workshop Report No.23, Bremen/Oldenburg . www.nordwest2050.de.
  • Grothmann, T., Kind, C., Numrich, O. (2013). Communication of extreme events. KomPass-Newsletter des Kompetenzzentrums Klimafolgen und Anpassung am Umweltbundesamt, No. 26, August 2013, pp. 3-5. Dessau: Umweltbundesamt. www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/klima-energie/klimafolgen-anpassung/kompass/kompass-newsletter
  • Grothmann, T. (2013). Perception of climate change - findings from psychological research. Article in the online dossier "Perception of climate change" of the Climate Navigator of the Climate Service Centre (CSC), Hamburg. www.klimanavigator.de/dossier/artikel/038715/index.php
  • Werg, J., Grothmann, T. & Schmidt, P. (2013). Assessing social capacity and vulnerability of private households to natural hazards - integrating psychological and governance factors. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 13, pp. 1613-1628. www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/13/1613/2013/nhess-13-1613-2013.pdf
  • Prutsch, A., Grothmann, T., Schauser, I. & McCallum, S. (2013). The policy context for adaptation in Europe. In European Environment Agency, Adaptation in Europe: Addressing risks and opportunities from climate change in the context of socio-economic developments (pp. 16-19). EEA Report No 3/2013. Copenhagen: EEA. www. eea.europa.eu/publications/adaptation-in-europe

2012:

  • Grothmann, T. & Siebenhüner, B. (2012). Reflexive Governance and the Importance of Individual Competencies: The Case of Adaptation to Climate Change in Germany. In E. Brousseau, T. Dedeurwaerdere, and B. Siebenhüner (Eds.), Reflexive Governance and Global Public Goods (pp. 299-314). Cambridge (MA): MIT Press.
  • Garrelts, H., Flitner, M., Grecksch, K., Grothmann, T., Siebenhüner, B. & Winges, M. (2012). Governance of the region. In B. Schuchardt & S. Wittig (Eds.) (2012). Vulnerability of the Bremen-Oldenburg Metropolitan Region to Climate Change (Synthesis Report), nordwest2050-Berichte Heft 2 (pp. 180 - 191). Bremen / Oldenburg: Project consortium 'nordwest2050'. www. nordwest2050.de

2011:

2010:

2009:

2008:

  • Werg, J. & Grothmann, T. (2008). Encouraging Adaptation to Climate Change and Weather Extremes in Private Households - Good Practice and Lessons Learned from Psychological Research. International Disaster and Risk Conference (1 p.). August 25-29 2008. Davos, Switzerland. www.idrc.info/
  • Grothmann, T. (2008). Innovative strategies to promote loss prevention. Schadenprisma - Journal for Loss Prevention and Loss Research of Public Insurers. Issue 3/2008, pp. 26-29. www.schadenprisma.de/pdf/sp_2008_3_6.pdf
  • Haße, C., Mahrenholz, P., & Grothmann, T. (2008). Databases and online services on climate change, climate impacts and adaptation. KomPass-Newsletter des Kompetenzzentrums Klimafolgen und Anpassung am Umweltbundesamt, No. 2, February 2008, pp. 2-4. Dessau: Umweltbundesamt. www. umweltbundesamt.de/themen/klima-energie/klimafolgen-anpassung/kompass/kompass-newsletter

2006:

2005:

  • Grothmann, T. & Patt, A. (2005). Adaptive Capacity and Human Cognition: The Process of Individual Adaptation to Climate Change. Global Environmental Change, 15 (3), 199-213.
  • Grothmann, T. (2005). Klimawandel, Wetterextreme und private Schadensprävention - Entwicklung, Überprüfung und praktische Anwendbarkeit der Theorie privater proaktiver Wetterextrem-Vorsorge (Dissertation). Magdeburg: Magdeburg University Library. Available online.
  • Schröter, D., Zebisch, M. & Grothmann, T. (2005). Climate Change in Germany - Vulnerability and Adaptation of Climate-Sensitive Sectors. Contribution to the Klimastatusbericht 2005 (Report on the State of the Climate 2005) (p. 44-56). Offenbach, Germany: German Meteorological Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst). www.ksb.dwd.de
  • Zebisch, M., Grothmann, T., Schröter, D., Haße, C., Fritsch, U., Cramer, W. (2005). Climate change in Germany. Vulnerability and adaptation of climate sensitive sectors / Klimawandel in Deutschland - Vulnerabilität und Anpassungsstrategien klimasensitiver Systeme. Report 201 41 253. Dessau: Federal Environmental Agency Germany / Umweltbundesamt.

2004:

2003:

  • Grothmann, T., Reusswig, F. & Linneweber, V. (2003). Learning from experience? Causes of self and building preparedness of flood-affected households and companies. In German Committee for Disaster Reduction (ed.), Flood prevention in Germany. Learning from the 2002 disaster in the Elbe region (DKKV publication series 29) (p. 54). Bonn: DKKV. www.dkkv.org
  • Grothmann, T., Reusswig, F. & Linneweber, V. (2003). Risk communication and participatory natural hazard management in flood prevention. In German Committee for Disaster Reduction (ed.), Flood prevention in Germany. Learning from the 2002 disaster in the Elbe region (DKKV publication series 29) (p. 57). Bonn: DKKV. www.dkkv.org
  • Grothmann, T. (2003). Affected yes - but also threatened? Risk perception and damage prevention after the August 2002 floods (7 pp.). Proceedings of the DKKV Hazard Day 2003. 26 November 2003. Munich. German Committee for Disaster Reduction. www.dkkv.org
  • Grothmann, T., & Patt, T. (2003). Adaptive Capacity and Human Cognition. The 2003 Open Meeting Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (18 pp.). 16-18 October 2003. Montreal, Canada. sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/openmeeting
  • Grothmann, T. & Reusswig, F. (2003). Learning (only) from experience? Flood damage prevention of residents and firms at risk. 4th Forum on Disaster Risk Reduction. Extended Abstracts (pp. 15-17). July 14-16, 2003. Munich. German Committee for Disaster Reduction. www.dkkv.org
  • Grothmann, T. (2003). Self-protection against flood damage: How households and companies at risk of flooding deal with the risk of flooding. Nuremberg Water Management Day, Seminar 2: Floods have a future. 5 June 2003. Nuremberg. German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste e.V., Regional Association of Bavaria. S. 196-214. www. atv-dvwk-bayern.de/index.htm

2001:

  • Greif, S., Runde, B., Seeberg, I., Hergenhahn, S. & Grothmann, T. (2001). Success and failure of change projects. Final report of the BMBF project Successes and Failures of Change. University of Osnabrück, Department of Work and Organisational Psychology.

2000:

  • Grothmann, T. (2000). Intercultural dialogue on environmental protection. Preliminary ideas for the realisation of intercultural understanding in environmental protection. 16th Congress of the Initiative Psychologie im Umweltschutz (IPU e.V.) (28 pp.). 7-10 Dec. 2000. Berlin. IPU e.V. and Heinrich Böll Foundation.
(Changed: 06 Aug 2025)  |  Kurz-URL:Shortlink: https://uole.de/p110694en
Zum Seitananfang scrollen Scroll to the top of the page