One of the biggest challenges of current climate research is to analyse and understand the regional effects of global climate change, especially to describe consequences and impacts of climate change on a socially relevant scale. This is where the Helmholtz Climate Initiative REKLIM focuses on. Since October 2009 experts of the nine German Centres of the Helmholtz Association‘s research field Earth and Environment are working together on different interdisciplinary research topics. In cooperation with nine universities, the Helmholtz research centres combine their expertise in regional climate change research. Regional observations and process studies coupled with model simulations will help to improve regional and global climate models, which provide a more solid basis for climate-related decision support. REKLIM contributes to the strengthening of interdisciplinary regional climate research in Germany. The Helmholtz Climate Initiative REKLIM addresses the following research topics: • Coupled modelling of the regional Earth systems • Sea level changes and coastal protection • Regional climate changes in the Arctic: Forcing and long-term effects at the land-ocean interface • The Land surface in the climate system • Chemistry-climate interactions on global to regional scales • Extreme weather events - storms, heavy precipitation, floods and droughts • Risk analysis and risk management for integrated strategies • Abrupt climate change derived from proxy data The REKLIM research network offers new possibilities for improving the knowledge of regional effects of climate change. Via the Helmholtz Regional Climate Offices (www.klimabuero.de) and the Climate Service Centre 2.0 (www.climate-service-centre.de) policymakers and other decision makers are supported in assessing risks and opportunities and designing mitigation and adaptation strategies based on results obtained from the REKLIM research network. For more information on the Helmholtz Climate Initiative REKLIM, please visit our website: www.reklim.de In conclusion of the first funding period, the Helmholtz Climate Initiative REKLIM has organised the international conference 'Our climate – Our Future, regional perspectives on a global challenge' taking place in Berlin, Germany from 6–9 October, 2014. The conference aims at providing a forum were scientists from all over the world can present and discuss new results from regional climate research in the context of the REKLIM research topics. The conference is divided into two parts: The first part is a three-day international scientific conference from 6–8 October, 2014. The scientific programme offers a broad and interdisciplinary spectrum of current international and national research activities in regional climate change. The second part consists of a public outreach event on 'Regional climate change – causes and effects' on the 9th of October, 2014, which focuses on the dialogue between scientists and decision makers from the fields of politics, administration and associations. This event will be held in German.