The School of Energy and Environment (SEE) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) proudly hosted a distinguished lecture by Prof. Soon-Il An from Yonsei University in Korea, titled "The Role of Climate System Inertia in Shaping Hysteresis under Mitigation Scenarios".

This insightful lecture was organized under the kind invitation of SEE Assistant Professor Prof. Jung-Eun Chu. Prof. An presented groundbreaking research on climate hysteresis, demonstrating how greenhouse gas emissions leave long-lasting and potentially irreversible impacts on Earth's climate due to the inertial characteristics of climate systems.

Prof. Chu (on the right) presented a souvenir to Prof. An (on the left).

Prof. An’s findings revealed that approximately 89% of the Earth's surface shows irreversible temperature changes under a systematic CO₂ ramp-up and ramp-down scenario. His research emphasized significant regional effects, including a "cold blob" in the North Atlantic during CO₂ ramp-up phases and a "warm blob" during ramp-down phases, which highlighted the hysteresis behavior of the climate system.

Prof. An also offered dynamic interpretations of hysteresis patterns, providing valuable insights into the challenges of achieving net-zero or negative CO₂ emissions, as well as the long-term consequences of climate system inertia.

With over 200 published papers and more than 17,000 citations, Prof. An’s extensive contributions have left a remarkable mark on climate science. His participation as a Lead Author for the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report and his role in the CLIVAR Science Steering Group further reflect his expertise and dedication to advancing our understanding of global climate change.

The SEE community is honored to have hosted Prof. An’s distinguished lecture, fostering meaningful discussions and promoting awareness of critical climate issues.