Crafoord Prize Winner Ramanathan: Climate Action Enters Its “How” Phase

InnovationSustainabilityCrafoord Prize Winner Ramanathan: Climate Action Enters Its “How” PhaseByIngmar Rentzhog,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Ingmar Rentzhog is the CEO and founder of We Don’t Have Time.for We Don’t Have TimeFollow AuthorMay 22, 2026, 11:54am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Veerabhadran “Ram” Ramanathan speaking during the roundtable on climate resilience, implementation and protection of vulnerable populations at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. Professor Örjan Gustafsson climate scientist at Stockholm University, member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences appears in the background.Photo: Wedonthavetime.orgThe 2026 Crafoord Prize in Geosciences was awarded to Veerabhadran “Ram” Ramanathan for pioneering research on how aerosols and other climate pollutants affect Earth’s energy balance and the climate system. Awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences together with the Crafoord Foundation, the prize is one of the world’s most prestigious scientific honors outside the Nobel Prize system.But the most important conversation during Crafoord Prize week was not only about what Ramanathan had discovered. It was about what happens next.On May 22, the morning after the award ceremony, a group of world-leading scientists from several fields, policymakers, physicians, educators and even astronauts gathered at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for an informal roundtable convened by Ramanathan and Professor Örjan Gustafsson. The discussion focused on a practical question: how humanity can protect people and ecosystems from accelerating climate and weather extremes over the next 25 years.About the Crafoord PrizeWhat is the Crafoord Prize?The Crafoord Prize was established in 1980 by Holger Crafoord and Anna-Greta Crafoord in partnership with the Roya...