Preface to the thematic issue on Climate, economics and statistics

Environmental problems are typically produced by the interactions of complex natural and human systems and can entail far-reaching and sometimes irreversible consequences. Their study is characterized by the existence of incomplete knowledge and high levels of uncertainty and, in some cases, ambiguousness in the definition of the problem itself and its boundaries. These so-called wicked problems openly challenge the traditional disciplinary approach commonly used in natural and social sciences and call for the development of interdisciplinary, integrated research, as well as for innovative methods and frameworks.