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

The world has spent decades debating whether climate change is real and how much to cut emissions. Now, according to one of the planet's most decorated climate scientists, that era is over. Veerabhadran Ramanathan, winner of the 2025 Crafoord Prize in geosciences, declared that climate action has entered its "how" phase, shifting the global conversation from awareness and target-setting to the gritty work of implementation and resilience. Ramanathan's career spans over four decades, from early work on the greenhouse effect to identifying black carbon as a major short-lived climate pollutant. The Crafoord Prize, awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, is often considered a prelude to the Nobel. His statement comes as the world grapples with accelerating climate impacts and missed emissions targets. In a recent interview with Forbes, Ramanathan argued that the "what" phase (scientific consensus, Paris Agreement goals) and the "why" phase (public awareness, activism) have largely been won. The "how" phase demands rapid deployment of existing technologies, scaling up carbon removal, and building resilience in vulnerable communities. He highlighted the need for a "moonshot" approach, emphasizing that solutions like solar, wind, and electric vehicles are ready but must be deployed at unprecedented speed. Ramanathan also stressed that adaptation is no longer optional — communities must prepare for unavoidable climate impacts. This framing could reshape climate policy and investment. If the world accepts that the problem is understood, resources can flow toward solutions. However, critics note that the "how" phase still requires enormous political will and financing, especially for developing nations. The climate action how phase requires trillions of dollars in investment, and carbon removal technologies remain expensive. Ramanathan calls for a global "how" task force to coordinate efforts. Key milestones include the next COP summit, national climate plans due in 2025, and the growth of carbon markets. The climate action how phase is a call to move from pledges to projects, from ambition to action. As Ramanathan put it, we have the tools — now we must use them.