Since the middle of the 19th century the importance of the content of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere for the Earth's heat balance has been known. However, a broader interest concerning the subject did not emerge until the beginning of the 1980s with the so-called Brundtland report. This led to the foundation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) who collect and assess the scientific literature regarding climate change, and regularly publish reports. According to the IPCC serious man-made climate change is risked unless a vigorous reduction in the global emission of greenhouse gases is initiated. The number one greenhouse gas responsible for the man-made impact of the heat balance is carbon dioxide, which comes from the combustion of fossil fuels. Land-use changes are also of importance, especially those involving deforestation.

The solution to this global environmental problem can only come about through international co-operation and international regulation, where the Kyoto protocol plays a key role. In 2003 the Danish government produced a climate policy that to a large extent focuses on fulfilling the Kyoto protocol. In accordance with the so-called EU 'Burden Sharing Agreement', the object for Denmark is to achieve a 21% reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases, on average, in the years 2008-2012, compared with the level in 1990.

NERI activities focusing on climate include e.g. the greenhouse gas inventories to the UN Climate Convention.

In 2008 a Coordination Unit for Research in Climate Adaptation was established wit a secretariat based at NERI. The secretariat operates in collaboration with the Danish Meteorological Instistute (DMI) and the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS). Leaflet describing the coordination unit