Journal profile · Environmental Sciences
Climatic Change
ISSN 0165-0009 · eISSN 1573-1480 · Springer Netherlands · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1977
Climatic Change: CAS Zone 2 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 5.09; fully open access; APC about USD 4,390; median 259 days to acceptance (115 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly hard; 247 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Climatic Change is published by Springer Netherlands and is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Climate variability and models, Climate Change Policy and Economics and Climate change impacts on agriculture, together about 30.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Global and Planetary Change. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Aims & Scope Climatic Change is an international, interdisciplinary journal dedicated to addressing the totality of climatic variability and change, especially aspects that elucidate the shape of the future in a changing climate. It serves as a platform for scientific exchange on climate change, including descriptions, causes, implications, and interactions with society. The journal publishes high-impact research that integrates natural, physical, and social sciences to advance climate knowledge and inform policy, adaptation, and mitigation strategies. We seek novel, interdisciplinary research that: ● Bridges multiple disciplines to tackle climate-related challenges. ● Has broad scientific or societal impact beyond a single field and/or a narrow geographical scope. ● Advances theory, methodology, or application in climate research. Core Topics: ● Adaptation & Mitigation – Strategies for reducing either component of risk (likelihood and/or consequence), including policy, technology, and community-based approaches. ● Climate policy & governance – Effectiveness of climate policies, governance structures, and decision-making. ● Socio-economic impacts, climate governance & justice – effects of climate change or climate governance and policy on economies, health, migration, and equity. ● Technological Innovations that address climate change issues– For example, renewable energy, carbon capture, geoengineering, and climate-smart technologies. ● Integrated Assessment Modeling – climate-economy-policy models and their use in analysis for future climate impact risk, adaptation and mitigation planning. ● Climate change psychology– Public engagement, media, and climate literacy, behavior, change, collective action, support for solutions, behavioral and cultural responses to climate impacts, and perceptions and emotional responses to climate change. ● Physical climate science – Analysis and projection of atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial climate processes, including extreme events and/or system interaction. ● Water, Energy & Food Nexus – Climate impacts on hydrology, agriculture, energy, water security, and resource management. ● Ecosystem & Biodiversity Responses – Climate change driven changes in ecosystems and species distribution. ● Carbon Cycle & Emissions – Carbon sequestration, biogeochemical cycles, radiative forcing, and emissions policies. ● Cryosphere & ice dynamics – Climate change impacts on glaciers, permafrost, ice sheets, sea levels, and polar clima
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Environmental Sciences
Editorial board by country: 13 in mainland China (about 8%); most named United States 62, Mainland China 13, Netherlands 11, Australia 8, Canada 7 (154 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Climate variability and modelsEnvironmental Science15.1%
- Climate Change Policy and EconomicsEconomics, Econometrics and Finance7.8%
- Climate change impacts on agricultureAgricultural and Biological Sciences7.4%
- Atmospheric and Environmental Gas DynamicsEnvironmental Science5.9%
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon DynamicsEnvironmental Science5.2%
- Climate Change Communication and PerceptionSocial Sciences5.2%
- Hydrology and Watershed Management StudiesEnvironmental Science4.4%
- Tree-ring climate responsesEarth and Planetary Sciences4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexINSPECCASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, Semantic Scholar, RePEc
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 5.09LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 5.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 6.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.4LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.5LetPub ·
- h-index
- 162LetPub ·
- h-index
- 283OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 5,552OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.64OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 1.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 54.12%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 237LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 2,700,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 7,410 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 203 | 119 | 180 |
| 2025 | 247 | 142 | 965 |
| 2024 | 177 | 113 | 1,767 |
| 2023 | 192 | 126 | 3,181 |
| 2022 | 196 | 119 | 4,507 |
| 2021 | 318 | 180 | 10,647 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
259 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 191 days – 340 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 17 days (115 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 294 days
- Sample
- 115 articles with submission and acceptance dates (475 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly hardLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 23 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessLetPub
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,390 / EUR 3,690 / GBP 2,890 | — | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 10,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted14, with length limits
- book reviewtaries on published papers, Essays, and Book Reviews should be limited to six published pages (a text equivalent of approximately 3,000 words). Back to top Lang…main text ≤ 3,000 words
- book reviewsBook Reviews: Book Reviews are by invitation only.Length not stated
- case studyOriginal Research Articles: Original Research Articles submitted to Climatic Change should emphasize interdisciplinary research that advances understanding of c…Length not stated
- commentaryCommentary: A CommentaryLength not stated
- editorialDouble-blind peer review This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout p…Length not stated
- letterwhose content merits rapid publication. Letters are restricted to a length equivalent to that which is typically occupied by 3500 words in a manuscript that is …main text ≤ 3,500 words
- opinionOriginal Research Articles: Original Research Articles submitted to Climatic Change should emphasize interdisciplinary research that advances understanding of c…Length not stated
- original research articleOriginal Research Articles: Original Research Articles submitted to Climatic Change should emphasize interdisciplinary research that advances understanding of c…Length not stated
- original research articlesOriginal Research Articles: Original Research Articles submitted to Climatic Change should emphasize interdisciplinary research that advances understanding of c…Length not stated
- perspectiveOriginal Research Articles: Original Research Articles submitted to Climatic Change should emphasize interdisciplinary research that advances understanding of c…Length not stated
- reviewOriginal Research Articles: Original Research Articles submitted to Climatic Change should emphasize interdisciplinary research that advances understanding of c…Length not stated
- review articleOriginal Research Articles: Original Research Articles submitted to Climatic Change should emphasize interdisciplinary research that advances understanding of c…Length not stated
- review articlesReview articles: Review articles offer more than an overview and report on the literature about a particular subject.Length not stated
- springboard commentarySpringboard Commentary: A Springboard Commentary provides a short essay that serves as a springboard to provoke thought, broad perspectives, and debate over unr…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Availability
All original research must include a Data Availability Statement. Data Availability Statements should provide information on where data supporting the results reported in the article can be found. Statements should include, where applicable, hyperlinks to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. When it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when in…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Climatic Change, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Double-blind peer review
Double-blind peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout peer review. It is the responsibility of the author to anonymize the manuscript and any associated materials. Author names, affiliations and any other potentially identifying information should be removed from the manuscript text and any accompanying files (such as …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Netherlands
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1977
- ISSN
- 0165-0009
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-1480
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Climatic Change
What CAS zone is Climatic Change in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Climatic Change is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Environmental Sciences / Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Climatic Change?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 5.09; CiteScore 8, h-index 283.
How long does peer review take at Climatic Change?
Based on the dates recorded on 115 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 259 days (interquartile range 191–340 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly hard”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Climatic Change?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 10,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Climatic Change based?
Of the 154 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 13 (about 8%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (62), Mainland China (13) and Netherlands (11). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Climatic Change?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Climatic Change is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, INSPEC, CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Climatic Change open access, and what is the APC?
Climatic Change is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 4,390.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .