Cosmos database
Coverage of Cosmos database in the Nexus archive.
- Project Cosmos
Project Cosmos, launched by Carbon Brief in June 2026 after an 18-month research and development effort, aims to create the world’s largest database of climate change research. The database contains over 1.8 million unique publications linked by 40 million citation relationships and includes the Cosmos 500 rankings of most cited authors, publications, and institutions.
- Mapped: Inside Carbon Brief’s Cosmos database of 1.8 million climate studies
Carbon Brief's Cosmos database contains 1.8 million climate studies, visualized as a 'cosmos' with stars representing individual studies and colored clusters indicating areas of academic focus. The database serves as a comprehensive resource for humanity's knowledge of climate change.
- Carbon Brief’s ranking of the most highly cited climate publications
Carbon Brief's Cosmos database ranks the most highly cited climate publications, using citation counts from 1.8 million scientific documents to create the Cosmos 500 list. The ranking focuses on citations within the database, distinct from broader citation metrics like Google Scholar.
- Carbon Brief’s ranking of the most highly cited institutions
Carbon Brief's analysis of its Cosmos database identifies the top 500 climate research institutions globally, with over a third based in the US and only 30 from global south countries, half in China. The ranking highlights concerns about the Trump administration's attacks on climate science.