GENEVA, April 12 – Over 140 experts from 65 countries will meet next week in Riga, Latvia, to draft the outline of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Special Report on Climate Change and Cities. The scoping meeting, scheduled to run from 16 to 19 April, is the first step in production of the report. The draft outline developed by experts attending the scoping meeting in Riga will be considered by the Panel at its next Session at the end of July.
The Special Report on Climate Change and Cities is expected to be released in early 2027 and will be the only special report the IPCC produces in the seventh assessment cycle. It is being developed under the joint scientific leadership of Working Groups I, II, and III, with support by the Working Group II Technical Support Unit.
The Panel has already decided to produce the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities and the Methodology Report on Short-lived Climate Forcers during the previous, sixth assessment cycle.
Meanwhile, the Seventh Assessment Report will comprise the three Working Group contributions and a Synthesis Report which is to be prepared by late 2029. The three Working Group contributions will cover the physical science basis of climate change; its impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptation; as well as mitigation of climate change.
The IPCC will also prepare a Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage, and will revise the 1994 IPCC Technical Guidelines on impacts and adaptation as well as adaptation indicators, metrics and guidelines.
Media briefing
On 15 April 2024, IPCC Chair Jim Skea, IPCC Bureau Members, and representatives from the Latvian government will give a media briefing to local media in Riga at 2 p.m. local time. The briefing will take place at the Radisson Blu Latvija Hotel.
Outreach
On the margins of the Scoping Meeting, the IPCC will hold several outreach events.
On 17 April at noon local time, the IPCC Chair accompanied by several IPCC Bureau Members, will meet and brief members of the Latvian parliament, including those from the Parliamentary Committee on Sustainable Development.
That same evening from 6.30 local time several IPCC experts will be taking part in an event organized by the CLIMAAX research project at the Raddison Blu Latvija Hotel.
On 19 April, IPCC experts will address and discuss climate change-related issues with the members of the Riga City Council, academia, experts, architects, and other audiences at an event hosted by the Riga City Council from 14.00 to 17.00.
For more information please contact:
IPCC Press Office, Email: ipcc-media@wmo.int
Andrej Mahecic, +41 79 704 2459 or Werani Zabula, +41 22 730 8120
Notes for editors
What is the IPCC?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988 to provide political leaders with periodic scientific assessments concerning climate change, its implications and risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation strategies. In the same year the UN General Assembly endorsed the action by the WMO and UNEP in jointly establishing the IPCC. It has 195 member states.
Thousands of people from all over the world contribute to the work of the IPCC. For the assessment reports, experts volunteer their time as IPCC authors to assess the thousands of scientific papers published each year to provide a comprehensive summary of what is known about the drivers of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and how adaptation and mitigation can reduce those risks.
The IPCC has three working groups: Working Group I, dealing with the physical science basis of climate change; Working Group II, dealing with impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; and Working Group III, dealing with the mitigation of climate change. It also has a Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories that develops methodologies for measuring emissions and removals.
IPCC assessments provide governments, at all levels, with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies. IPCC assessments are a key input into the international negotiations to tackle climate change. IPCC reports are drafted and reviewed in several stages, thus guaranteeing objectivity and transparency.
About the Seventh Assessment Cycle
Comprehensive scientific assessment reports are published every 5 to 7 years. The IPCC is currently in its seventh assessment cycle, which formally began in July 2023 with the elections of the new IPCC and Taskforce Bureaus at the IPCC’s Plenary Session in Nairobi.
IPCC’s latest report, the Sixth Assessment Report, was completed in March 2023 with the release of its Synthesis Report, which provides direct scientific input to the first global stocktake process under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at COP28 in Dubai.
The Sixth Assessment Report comprises three Working Group contributions and a Synthesis Report. The Working Group I contribution Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis was released on 9 August 2021. The Working Group II contribution, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, was released on 28 February 2022. The Working Group III contribution, Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change, was released on 4 April 2022 and the Synthesis Report on 20 March 2023. The Synthesis Report to the Sixth Assessment Report, distils and integrates the findings of the three Working Group assessments as well as the three Special Reports released in 2018 and 2019.
The special reports were on Global Warming of 1.5°C (October 2018.), Climate Change and Land (August 2019) and, the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate (September 2019).
For more information visit www.ipcc.ch.
The website includes outreach materials including videos about the IPCC and video recordings from outreach events conducted as webinars or live-streamed events.
Most videos published by the IPCC can be found on our YouTube channel.
Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is filling the position of
The position is located in the Paris area, at Gif-sur-Yvette (France).
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The IPCC was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988 to provide policymakers with rigorous, transparent, and objective scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options. The IPCC is now undertaking its Seventh Assessment (AR7) cycle. The IPCC Working Group I (WGI) assesses the physical science underpinning past, present, and future climate change. The WGI Technical Support Unit (TSU) provides scientific, technical, operational and communications support that underpin and implement the WGI assessment.
The Technical Support Unit (TSU)
The TSU works at the unique IPCC interface between science and policy in the provision of the climate knowledge and information that is relevant for policy needs and decision making. The team is responsible for facilitating and implementing the assessment process undertaken by the author teams and overseen by the WGI Bureau. We are seeking someone who is highly motivated to join a team that spans different areas of expertise including climate sciences (observations, climate processes, global and regional climate modeling), visual design and communication, digital information development and management, and international project management. The team is hosted by Université Paris-Saclay and located in the facilities of Ecole normale supérieure (ENS) Paris-Saclay in the Paris area.
Job Description
The Science Officer will work closely with the IPCC Working Group I Bureau and the Authors and will report to the Head of Science Team. He/She will assist in the scoping, preparation, review, and completion of the IPCC Working Group I assessment and play a key role in ensuring the scientific integrity and quality of the report. He/She will support the planning, conducting, and reporting for the meetings and sessions organized by Working Group I, including IPCC Workshops and Expert Meetings and contribute to the scientific aspects of these meetings and sessions to facilitate informed decision-making. The Science Officer will contribute to the development and implementation of scientific plans related to the activities and products of the Working Group I, assist in the reporting process for the scientific outcomes of meetings, sessions, and other relevant activities. He/She will provide scientific support in the development of outreach materials related to the activities of the Working Group I and contribute to the creation of materials that effectively communicate scientific findings to various stakeholders.
Qualifications
Application
The position is a fixed term contract from Université Paris-Saclay for 3 years with a possibility of extension for the duration of the IPCC Seventh Assessment cycle planned for 6 years.
Please send by 22 April 2024, your application consisting of a letter of motivation, curriculum vitae, and contact details of two referees, to Clotilde Péan, Head of the WGI TSU quoting reference SCO002 in the title of the email.
Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is filling the position of
The position is located in the Paris area, at Gif-sur-Yvette (France).
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The IPCC was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988 to provide policymakers with rigorous, transparent, and objective scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options. The IPCC is now undertaking its Seventh Assessment (AR7) cycle. The IPCC Working Group I (WGI) assesses the physical science underpinning past, present, and future climate change. The WGI Technical Support Unit (TSU) provides scientific, technical, operational and communications support that underpin and implement the WGI assessment.
The Technical Support Unit (TSU)
The TSU works at the unique IPCC interface between science and policy in the provision of the climate knowledge and information that is relevant for policy needs and decision making. The team is responsible for facilitating and implementing the assessment process undertaken by the author teams and overseen by the WGI Bureau. We are seeking someone who is highly motivated to join a team that spans different areas of expertise including climate sciences (observations, climate processes, global and regional climate modeling), visual design and communication, digital information development and management, and international project management. The team is hosted by Université Paris-Saclay and located in the facilities of Ecole normale supérieure (ENS) Paris-Saclay in the Paris area.
Job Description
The Science Officer will work closely with the IPCC Working Group I Bureau and the Authors and will report to the Head of Science Team. He/She will assist in the scoping, preparation, review, and completion of the IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change and play a key role in ensuring the scientific integrity and quality of the report. He/She will support the planning, conducting, and reporting for the meetings and sessions organized by Working Group I, including IPCC Workshops and Expert Meetings and contribute to the scientific aspects of these meetings and sessions to facilitate informed decision-making. The Science Officer will contribute to the development and implementation of scientific plans related to the activities and products of the Working Group I, assist in the reporting process for the scientific outcomes of meetings, sessions, and other relevant activities. He/She will provide scientific support in the development of outreach materials related to the activities of the Working Group I and contribute to the creation of materials that effectively communicate scientific findings to various stakeholders. The Science Officer will take on additional responsibilities as allocated after the completion of the IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change.
Qualifications
Application
The position is a fixed term contract from Université Paris-Saclay for 3 years with a possibility of extension for the duration of the IPCC Seventh Assessment cycle planned for 6 years.
Please send by 22 April 2024, your application consisting of a letter of motivation, curriculum vitae, and contact details of two referees, to Clotilde Péan, Head of the WGI TSU quoting reference SCO001 in the title of the email.
Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is filling the position of
The position is located in the Paris area, at Gif-sur-Yvette (France).
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The IPCC was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988 to provide policymakers with rigorous, transparent, and objective scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options. The IPCC is now undertaking its Seventh Assessment (AR7) cycle. The IPCC Working Group I (WGI) assesses the physical science underpinning past, present, and future climate change. The WGI Technical Support Unit (TSU) provides scientific, technical, operational and communications support that underpin and implement the WGI assessment.
The Technical Support Unit (TSU)
The TSU works at the unique IPCC interface between science and policy in the provision of the climate knowledge and information that is relevant for policy needs and decision making. The team is responsible for facilitating and implementing the assessment process undertaken by the author teams and overseen by the WGI Bureau. We are seeking someone who is highly motivated to join a team that spans different areas of expertise including climate sciences (observations, climate processes, global and regional climate modeling), visual design and communication, digital information development and management, and international project management. The team is hosted by Université Paris-Saclay and located in the facilities of Ecole normale supérieure (ENS) Paris-Saclay in the Paris area.
The Head of Science Team Role
We seek candidates that bring a broad understanding of state-of-the-art physical climate science, international research and coordinated activities, as well as demonstrated experience in team leadership and management, as well as international experience. We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic in supporting a high impact and rigorous WGI assessment and promote the value of information on the physical basis of climate change and its accessibility and usability by different communities around the world.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Head of Science Team will be responsible for the delivery and coordination of science-related activities of the Technical Support Unit (TSU) throughout the preparation, review and completion phases of the products of Working Group I during the Seventh Assessment cycle (in particular the WGI Assessment Report and the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities). The successful candidate will assist the WGI Co-Chairs (R. Vautard and X. Zhang) in preparing the physical science elements for the reports and will support the work of the AR7 authors. He/she will facilitate the development of a network of regional scientists and liaise with the WGI Vice Chairs and Heads of Science of the other TSUs. The Head of Science Team will report to the Head of TSU and to the Co-Chairs of WGI.
The Head of Science Team will play a leading role within the TSU in supporting the development of the assessment reports and their production in due time, the preparation of the Technical Summary and the Summary for Policymakers, and the synthesis of the assessment findings therein. He/she will contribute to the overall coordination of the full breath of TSU activities in close collaboration with the Head of TSU.
The TSU Science Team is comprised of Senior Science Officers and Science Officers at the post-doctoral level. It has a distributed structure with staff based at the TSU office at ENS Paris-Saclay and at the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences in Beijing, China. The Head of Science Team will lead the team, line manage the Paris-based Science Team, as well as coordinate work done in collaboration with the members based in Beijing. The role will also include mentoring and supervision of projects undertaken with students and interns on science analysis.
The Science Team supports the assessment, the robustness, traceability and confidence of the assessment findings based on multiple lines of evidence. The team works on the consistent treatment of climate science topics within the Working Group I report and in relation to the wider AR7 assessment. The team also supports the author teams in terms of assessed digital information accessibility, reproducibility and curation for the transparency and provenance of the assessment outcomes, fostering open-source community practices, data literacy, information design and management. The science team also includes artificial intelligence experts.
Requirements
Attributes
Application
The position is a fixed term contract from Université Paris-Saclay for 3 years with a possibility of extension for the duration of the IPCC Seventh Assessment cycle planned for 6 years.
Please send by 15 April 2024, your application consisting of a letter of motivation, curriculum vitae, and contact details of two referees, to Clotilde Péan, Head of the WGI TSU.
Copenhagen, Denmark.
21 March 2024
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.
First, a thank you to our Danish hosts for their welcome and for inviting a scientific contribution to the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – IPCC – approved the final report of its Sixth Cycle, the Synthesis Report, almost exactly a year ago in Interlaken Switzerland. As IPCC Chair for the seventh assessment cycle I must stress that while the findings of that report stand the test of time, our climate has moved on.
As confirmed by WMO, 2023 was the hottest year on record, with particularly startling extremes in ocean temperatures. Extreme weather events and wildfires ceased to be just part of future projections. They were evident on our television screens and, for far too many of us, were a present reality. And sea levels continue to rise relentlessly with consequences for small island states and low-lying coastal communities. And all this, as we have demonstrated, is down to more than a century of human activities, including burning fossil fuels, and unequal and unsustainable patterns of energy and land use.
Our latest report showed that with every increment of warming the world will become more and more dangerous. Beyond 1.5°C warming, we will see new risks will emerge associated with sea level rise, permafrost degradation, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, more extreme weather, food insecurity.
But, on the policy front, obviously there are encouraging signs of progress. COP28 and the UAE consensus made a start on the challenge of transitioning away from fossil fuels, established a new framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation and operationalised the loss and damage fund.
IPCC findings need to be interpreted in the light of all that’s happened in the last 12 months. And that is what I’ll do in the next few minutes. I’ll do so with reference to the three goals of the Paris Agreement and, indeed, the sessions at this Ministerial event.
First, on mitigation ambition and warming of 1.5°C. In IPCC we have been saying for more than five years now that only immediate and deep emission reductions will allow global warming to be limited to 1.5°C. We can’t go on saying that forever. Indeed, the last UNEP Gap Report was entitled “broken record”. I looked back at the media release on the Special Report on 1.5°C five years ago, I said that “Limiting warming to 1.5ºC is possible within the laws of chemistry and physics “. I stand by that, noting that this refers to a long-run average level of warming, not a single year like the one we have just seen.
But it is clear what would need to happen. Once emitted, carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for centuries. It is the accumulation of emissions that matters. In the middle of the range of scenarios that we have assessed, GHG emissions peak before 2025, fall by 43 per cent by 2030, 60 per cent by 2035, 69 per cent by 2040 and reach net zero mid century. We can’t just pick a single year, we have to follow the pathway. If we do not act now, we close the option of limiting warming to 1.5°C as we will have used up the available carbon budget around the end of this decade, even with the current set of nationally determined contributions.
And we have also shown that it is possible. In literally hundreds of pages we have set out specifically what can be done in terms of energy supply, energy demand, transportation, agriculture, forestry and other land use, through both technology and patterns of human behaviour. Most of these actions also yield wider co-benefits. They can make positive contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals.
And we have the tools. We have shown that carbon pricing, regulations and other interventions have already resulted in gigatonnes of avoided emissions. More can be achieved if policies and measures are scaled up and deployed more widely.
Second, let me turn to adaptation and resilience. Adaptation action has increased but progress is uneven. We are not adapting fast enough. Most observed adaptation is fragmented, small in scale, incremental, sector-specific, and focused more on planning rather than implementation. Hard limits to adaptation, as well as soft limits caused by lack of resources and institutional capacity, are being reached in some sectors and regions. Maladaptation actions, which bring short-term gains but are detrimental in the long run, are also increasing and are disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups. The increasing gaps between adaptation action taken and what’s needed are largest among lower income populations. At the current rate of planning and implementation, adaptation gaps can only continue to grow.
Third, on finance and means of implementation. There are manifest gaps between tracked climate finance and what is needed to put us on low emissions and climate resilient development pathways. Only between 4 and 8 per cent of tracked climate finance is allocated to adaptation and more than 90 percent of adaptation finance comes from public sources. Adaptation finance gaps constrain implementation of adaptation options especially in developing countries. Increasing public and private finance flows by billions of dollars per year, increasing direct access to multilateral funds, strengthening project pipeline development and shifting finance from readiness activities to project implementation can enhance adaptation. Projects that yield joint mitigation and adaptation benefits are a potential source of private finance.
Meanwhile, though the gaps are narrower, tracked climate finance for mitigation is still a factor of three to six below what would be required to put us on 1.5 °C or 2°C pathways. The gaps are actually least for energy supply, notably electricity generation, but greater for energy efficiency, transport and land-use measures. And for mitigation, reducing risks and leveraging private flows through public guarantees, local capital market development, and building greater trust in international cooperation processes all have role to play.
Now finally, what can be expected from IPCC during the Seventh assessment cycle which began eight months ago ? Due to our rigorous processes and scientific scrutiny, it will be some time before new reports are available. The Panel met in January and thanks to our Turkish hosts agreed on the content of our Programme of Work, though the detailed timeline needs further discussion.
By early 2027, we should release a Special Report on Cities and Climate Change. This work is already underway. By the end of 2027, we should have a methodology report on carbon dioxide removal technologies and carbon capture utilization and storage which will inform the submission of national inventories. And during 2028, the Working Groups’ Co-Chairs hope to have finalized the three Working Group Reports. There will also be an update and revision of Technical Guidelines on impacts and adaptation, last produced in 1994. Published alongside the Working Group II report, and the updated guidelines will cover adaptation indicators, metrics and methodologies. This may help underpin greater financial flows for adaptation.
To sum up, the scale and pace of climate change poses unprecedented challenges for humanity. But IPCC’s recent work has shown that we have the means and the tools to address these challenges, if we choose to use them. And just to say, the newly elected scientific leadership of IPCC stands ready to play its part in supporting a move from problems to solutions, from analysis to action.
Thank you.
Working Group III (WGIII) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is filling the position of
IPCC prepares comprehensive and up-to-date assessments of policy-relevant scientific, technical, and socio-economic information needed to further understand the scientific basis of climate change, potential impacts, and options for mitigation and adaptation. WGIII assesses climate change mitigation (click here for more information). For the IPCC Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) cycle, the U.S. Global Change Research Program is funding a Technical Support Unit (TSU) to provide technical and administrative services in direct support of the elected IPCC WGIII Co-Chairs. To enhance efficiency, the TSU is distributed – with nodes at the USGCRP office in Washington DC, and at partner entities elsewhere in the United States and abroad. ICF administers the TSU-Washington node.
The Staff Scientist works closely with the TSU Head and Head of Science, providing high-level scientific support to address WGIII commitments – specifically preparing and reviewing the WGIII contribution to the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) and the AR7 Synthesis Report, and serving as a staff resource for the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities.
Key Responsibilities
Scientific Coordination: Ensures that WGIII assessments are accurate, balanced, and comprehensive, providing quality assurance services for the research community and stakeholders. Reviews draft materials submitted by authors to verify adherence to plenary-approved outlines and to ensure that assigned draft chapters objectively reflect the latest scientific findings. Uses expert knowledge of the underlying science and relevant literature to develop innovative ways of improving message and communicating key findings. Supports the planning and conduct of Expert Meetings and Workshops and assists in the preparation of proceedings/reports.
Scientific Management: Assists the Head of Science and WGIII TSU science colleagues with the evaluation and synthesis of scoping meeting and writing team nominations packages, providing streamlined materials for WGIII Bureau consideration. Helps coordinate large-scale projects which could include development of Frequently Asked Questions, cross-volume boxes, and/or the WGIII contribution to an IPCC-wide glossary. Generates TSU syntheses of collected comments from the staged reviews to identify common themes. Generates Lead Author Meeting presentations and author guidance to highlight said themes.
Cross-Working Group Collaboration: Serves as WGIII TSU representative on cross-working group initiatives and action teams. Contributes to the Error Protocol process. Assists with draft preparations and reviews, and with production of final deliverables (both hardcopy and digital compilations).
Skills and Competencies
Minimum Qualifications
Ph.D. in social or natural science discipline or engineering relevant to climate change mitigation assessment, plus three or more years of experience working with an interdisciplinary community. Prior IPCC experience a plus.
Application Information
This is a term position through 30 April 2026, with the possibility of extension. Employment is through ICF, a global advisory and technology services provider. U.S. citizenship or permanent lawful resident status is required. The position is based in Washington DC, at the USGCRP National Coordination Office (hybrid work arrangement).
You can access the full position description and apply for the post (uploading your CV and motivation letter) by visiting the ICF Career Portal. If you have questions, you may contact the WGIII TSU Head at tsu@ipcc-wg3.gov or ICF via the chat feature in the ICF Career Portal. This job posting will be open until 30 April 2024.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was created in 1988 and it provides regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.
The IPCC’s name in French is “Le Groupe d’experts intergouvernemental sur l’évolution du climat” – abbreviated as “GIEC”.
We note that there are other entities using the identical French acronym that appeared in some recent media coverage in France.
The IPCC (GIEC) has no links or affiliation with these other entities.
-Ends-
Notes for editors
What is the IPCC?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988 to provide political leaders with periodic scientific assessments concerning climate change, its implications and risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation strategies. In the same year the UN General Assembly endorsed the action by the WMO and UNEP in jointly establishing the IPCC. It has 195 member states.
Thousands of people from all over the world contribute to the work of the IPCC. For the assessment reports, experts volunteer their time as IPCC authors to assess the thousands of scientific papers published each year to provide a comprehensive summary of what is known about the drivers of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and how adaptation and mitigation can reduce those risks.
The IPCC has three working groups: Working Group I, dealing with the physical science basis of climate change; Working Group II, dealing with impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; and Working Group III, dealing with the mitigation of climate change. It also has a Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories that develops methodologies for measuring emissions and removals.
IPCC assessments provide governments, at all levels, with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies. IPCC assessments are a key input into the international negotiations to tackle climate change. IPCC reports are drafted and reviewed in several stages, thus guaranteeing objectivity and transparency.
Super-highway or still in slow-motion: are science, data and digitalization really speeding our transition to a sustainable future?
Nairobi, Kenya
29 February 2024
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Your excellencies, distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
My homework questions for this session were: Is the world really listening to the science and data that we already have? How can they be better leveraged to not only inform multilateral environmental agreements but action on the ground? What needs to change so UNEP and other science-based organizations stop sounding like a broken record?
Let me start with the broken record.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the IPCC – repeatedly sounded the alarm about the urgency of climate action throughout its Sixth Assessment Cycle which ended last July.
I looked back at our media release for the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees more than five years ago.
It said: “Limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require “rapid and far-reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities”. “Limiting warming to 1.5°C is possible within the laws of chemistry and physics but doing so would require unprecedented changes.”
In 2022, just two years ago, we followed up. We said: “It’s now or never, if we want to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, it will be impossible.”
We can’t go on saying that for ever. We are going to run out of rope.
To stop sounding less like a broken record, we must communicate actionable findings, and strengthen the regionally-specific aspects of assessments.
But is the world listening? I would argue that it is, but perhaps our messages have not been wholeheartedly embraced.
Let’s recognize how IPCC has helped shape international climate policies. The IPCC introduced the concept of “net zero” to the wider world in 2018. Today, the majority of global greenhouse gas emissions are covered by mid-century net zero emission targets. Formal climate laws, policies and institutions cover more than half of global emissions. Global emissions have yet to fall, but we have begun to bend the upward trend. The deployment of renewable energy is expanding, and adaptation has made some progress across all sectors and regions. Yet, despite all this, we’re falling short in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.
IPCC, and other science-policy platforms, are rightly charged with being policy relevant. IPCC has clearly had a big influence on high-level aspirations. But we will see progress that is commensurate with ambitions only when national policymakers, practitioners and professionals from all sectors are informed, and empowered to effect substantive changes.
We in IPCC have heard, loud and clear, requests from policymakers to provide timely information that informs climate action, taking account of local context. Our Special Report on Climate Change and Land concluded with a section on “near-term action” which set out the case, among much else, for investment in individual and institutional capacity, knowledge transfer, and early warning systems. The Synthesis Report, approved less than a year ago, similarly concluded with a section on responses in the near-term.
Ladies and gentlemen, we will work with you on the shaping and communication of our work. The new Working Group Co-chairs for the IPCC Seventh Cycle are committed to providing actionable information and communicating it to the right audiences. But I do acknowledge that we have further work to do.
Let me conclude with a final observation. There are obvious gaps between aspiration and action across all the goals of the Paris Agreement – mitigation, adaptation and finance. Science can provide the evidential basis for action. But it cannot fill the vacuum created by policy inaction. Forgive me for sounding like that broken record. Science alone is not enough. Policymakers, your leadership is critical in turning the science we provide into purposeful climate action.
Thank you.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is hiring a Programme Officer.
POST: Programme Officer
GRADE: P3
DUTY STATION: Geneva, Switzerland
NATURE OF APPOINTMENT: Short-term 364 Days
COMMENCEMENT OF DUTY: To be determined
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: 19 March 2024
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the the overall guidance of the Secretary of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Deputy Secretary of the IPCC, the Programme Officer will be responsible for supporting the implementation of existing and new mandates arising from Panel or Bureau decisions across various domains as well as supporting the cooperation, with the UN system. The incumbent will perform the following duties:
Support the execution of existing and new mandates resulting from Panel, Bureau and Executive Committee decisions and related Task Groups or / and Teams;
QUALIFICATIONS
Education
Master’s degree or equivalent in International Relations, Economics, Public Policy, Environment or Climate Policy or a closely related field.
Experience
At least five (5) years experience in climate, environment or other related fields.
Other requirements
This role requires strong coordination and policy formulation skills, the ability to multitask, exceptional communication skills, and a deep understanding of stakeholder engagement within the context of climate-related initiatives and international organizations. Ability to foster team spirit, international cooperation and to work in a multicultural environment.
Languages
Excellent knowledge of English (both oral and written). Knowledge of other official languages of the Organization would be an advantage.
(Note: The official languages of the Organization are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.)
The Secretary-General may appoint a candidate at a grade below the advertised grade of the post, with the possibility of promotion to that grade within three years of appointment, subject to satisfactory appraisal of performance.
Possibility of renewal subject to the availability of funds and pending satisfactory performance after an initial probationary period of one year which can be extended up to a maximum of two years.
WMO is committed to achieving diversity and a balanced workforce. Applications are welcome from qualified women and men, including those with disabilities. The statutory retirement age after 1 January 2014 is 65. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.
Deadline: 19 March 2024
Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is filling the position of Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence Officer.
Deadline: 12 March 2024
We are looking for an Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence (IT/AI) Officer to provide IT and AI support to the Working Group II of the IPCC and its Technical Support Unit (TSU). Can you enrich our team with your knowledge on AI-based text-mining and processing? Can you implement this expertise inside our document management system? And can you assist our TSU and IPCC author teams with access to and working with our IT environment? Please read on!
What you can expect as IT / AI officer
The IT/AI Officer will provide support in applying Artificial Intelligence to compile and review the Working Group II products. The application of AI is intended to enrich these processes in various ways: the automation of search for relevant (grey) literature, processing reviews, and analysing key results in the report for consistence and traceability. You provide AI support by selecting and testing relevant AI algorithms and packages, prototyping their application, and guiding authors in their use. You are responsible for procurement, configuration, maintenance, back-up, security and modernization of the AI packages. AI support is also arranged in the TSUs of the other IPCC Working Groups, and you will maintain close working relationships with these colleagues.
This function is combined with the management of the TSU IT infrastructure (hardware and software) and its liaising with ICT at Deltares. Together with the IT Officer located in the Singapore division of the TSU, you provide the IT support for the products and activities of the Working Group. Jointly you coordinate procedural and infrastructure activities in support of the preparation, review and completion of the reports. Additionally you will interact with the ITC system of the IPCC secretariat.
Requirements:
About the IPCC Working Group II
The IPCC is starting its seventh assessment cycle. The Working Group II TSU, which provides the scientific, technical and organisational support of the activities and products of the Working Group focusing on the impacts, adaptation and vulnerability of Climate Change, is co-located at Deltares in the Netherlands and at the Singapore Management University in Singapore.
What we offer
Here you can find more information about our attractive terms of employment.
Procedure
Apply with your CV and motivation letter by 12 March 2024. Applications without motivation letter will not be reviewed.
Interviews will be held on March 29 and April 1st.
Starting date: summer 2024.
To apply, click here
The position is based in the Netherlands. Working remotely from another country is not possible.
Questions? Please contact Brian de Bruin in Deltares
This vacancy is located in Delft (the Netherlands). We assist with the application to the Immigration Service (IND) if you don’t have a EU passport. Together with EMG we make sure everything is arranged.