Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is filling the position of

Science Coordinator in the Working Group I Technical Support Unit

The position is located in the Paris area, at Gif-sur-Yvette (France).

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (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 assesses the physical science underpinning past, present, and future climate change. The Working Group I Technical Support Unit (TSU) provides scientific, technical, operational and communications support that underpin and implement the Working Group I assessment.

The Technical Support Unit

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 Working Group I 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 Science Coordinator Role

The Science Coordinator will join the Working Group I TSU Science Team which is comprised of Senior Science Officers and Science Officers at a post-doctoral level. He/she will mentor the team and coordinate the scientific activities within the TSU. The role will also include supervision of projects undertaken with students and interns on science analysis.

The Science Coordinator will be responsible for the delivery and coordination of science-related activities of the TSU throughout the preparation, review and completion phases of the products of Working Group I during the Seventh Assessment cycle (in particular the Working Group I Assessment Report and the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities). He/she will assist 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.

The successful candidate will assist the Working Group I Co-Chairs (Robert Vautard and Xiaoye Zhang) in preparing the physical science elements for the reports and will support the work of the AR7 authors. He/she will monitor scientific literature, provide regular reviews, and develop a strategy for helping authors’ assessment work (incl. potentially using A.I.). This includes participation to science meetings and conferences, outreach activities, and representing Working Group I Co-Chairs. He/she will facilitate the development of a network of regional scientists and liaise with the Working Group I Vice-Chairs and science staff of the other TSUs. The Science Coordinator will report to the Head of TSU and to the Co-Chairs of Working Group I. He/she will be supported by a team of science officers (2-4).

Requirements

We seek candidates that bring a broad understanding of state-of-the-art physical climate science, international research and coordinated activities, demonstrated experience of team work, as well as international experience. We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic in supporting a high impact and rigorous Working Group I 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.

• PhD in physical climate science;
• A broad overview of physical climate science (regional/global climate or paleoclimate, ocean, atmosphere, land or cryosphere science);
• Track record of research;
• Experience in team coordination and/or science team leadership including students, postdocs, and other scientists;
• Experience in research project development,
• Scientific publications in the peer-reviewed literature;
• Leadership and skills to work in an international team with a common long-term goal;
• Strong organisational skills to plan and execute multi-task projects according to tight time schedules, maintaining good time-keeping and communication across multiple activities;
• High level of social skills and capability to interact with the international science community and support integration and coordination across disciplines.

Attributes

• A highly motivated, independent scientist as well as an active collaborative thinker that seeks and creates opportunities;
• A strong team player who will support others as needed and who will actively engage with the international climate science community;
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.

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 until 2029.

Please send your application consisting of a letter of motivation, curriculum vitae, and contact details of two referees, to Clotilde Péan, Head of the Working Group I TSU. The position will remain opened until it is filled.

Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is filling the position of

Artificial Intelligence Support Officer

Deadline: 15 September 2024

We are looking for an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Support Officer to provide AI support to the Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its Technical Support Unit (TSU). When is this a job for you? Well especially if you (1) want to make global impact and (2) if have experience in applying AI in academic settings, including literature search and classification using AI-based text-mining and processing techniques. 

Do you want to advice and support the authors of the IPCC reports with your experience? And can you assist our TSU IT officer in helping authors and TSU people to work with our IT environment? Please read on! 

What can you expect as Artificial Intelligence Support Officer? 

Your goal is to provide support in applying Artificial Intelligence to compile and review the Working Group II (WGII) reports. 

Your vison and expertise in applying AI, aims to enhance the report preparation processes in various ways. It automates the search for relevant publications (including peer-reviewed scientific papers and non-peer-reviewed sources like technical reports) and their classification. AI can also help processing review comments, clustering research articles, producing topographic maps and interactive study databases, and performing consistency checks of key results. In short: applying AI properly can benefit the whole team in reaching our goal to deliver a useful series of assessment reports.

Your main task are

• Provide AI support by selecting and testing relevant AI algorithms and packages. You prototype their application and guide authors (from various technical backgrounds and abilities) in their use. 
• You are responsible for the procurement, configuration, maintenance, back-up, security and modernization of AI packages at dedicated server platforms. 
• You will develop, test, and validate custom machine learning algorithms tailored to the IPCC drafting process, using techniques from current scientific literature where suitable. 
• You support additional AI-driven tasks that might arise in the course the reports’ preparation. 
• Jointly with the IT Officer of the TSU you provide basic IT support to the Deltares TSU team. 

As AI support officer you collaborate with many stakeholders and colleagues. For example, AI support may also be arranged in the TSUs of the other IPCC Working Groups. It is important to maintain close working relationships with these colleagues. You also work together with the IT officer in the Singapore Support Unit of Working Group II and the ICT unit of Deltares. A collaborative mindset is therefore a must have! 

Requirements:

• Either:
  – a degree in computer sciences & internet technology (or related), with demonstrated skills in the deployment of AI in the academic environment including text mining and analysis, or
  – a degree in literature analysis or comparative literature (or related), with demonstrated skills in applying AI technology;
• Operational experience with Artificial Intelligence end to end systems, in particular text processing, data mining and natural language processing;
• Proven skills in replicating and adapting open-source relevant applications and packages available on developer platforms such as GitHub or GitLab;
• Adequate IT Infrastructure Knowledge:
  – Understanding of fundamental IT infrastructure components, including servers, networking, and storage systems;
  – Experience with troubleshooting hardware and software issues;
  – System knowledge of Windows, Macintosh, Linux, networks, database software, backup systems and related software such as Python;
  – Familiarity with ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) framework and processes; 
  – Knowledge of incident management, problem management, and service request management.
• Excellent oral and written English at the technical level;
• Because the TSU strives for international diversity, candidates from outside the Netherlands are explicitly encouraged to apply.

Due to the international character of the work, willingness to travel internationally is a must have. You need to provide IT support at international meetings.

About the IPCC Working Group II

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently initiated its Seventh Assessment cycle. Working Group II focuses on the Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability of Climate Change. Its Technical Support Unit (TSU) is co-located at Deltares in the Netherlands and at the Singapore Management University in Singapore. The TSU provides scientific, technical and organisational support of the activities and products of the Working Group.

What we offer 

This is a fulltime fixed term contract at Deltares for the duration of at least 3 years. The position is funded by the Dutch government, and employment conditions (e.g., renumeration scales, insurance and other benefits) are through the Deltares. In addition we offer:

• The opportunity to work with a motivated and enthusiastic team in an informal work environment with global exposure;
• Salary will be based on your experience with a maximum of €5.872, gross per month based on 40 hours per week. We will come to an appropriate scale in consultation;
• An open, inclusive and collaborative culture;
• 34 days of vacation per year, vitality budget and a mobility budget;   

Here you can find more information about our attractive terms of employment.

Procedure

Apply with your CV and motivation letter before September 16. Applications without motivation letter will not be reviewed.

Interviews will start during the week of September 30 and selection may include multiple interviews and evaluation of assignments representative for the support work carried out in the TSU. 

Starting date: as soon as possible. The position is based in the Netherlands. Working remotely from another country is not possible.

Questions? Please call our recruiter Brian de Bruin (HR Recruitment Officer; +31615267686). 

To apply, click here

GENEVA, Aug 9 – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is calling for nominations of the authors for the 2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers. Scheduled to be considered by the Panel in the second half of 2027, the outline and timeline of the Methodology Report were agreed on by the Panel during its 61^st Session held from 27 July to 2 August 2024 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

“This Methodology Report will underpin renewed efforts to better equip all governments in the world to estimate high-quality emission data on short-lived climate forcers not covered in recently published IPCC Guidelines,” said Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Co-Chair Takeshi Enoki. 

Coordinating Lead Authors and Lead Authors are responsible for drafting the different chapters of the Methodology Report and revising it based on comments submitted during the review process.  Hundreds of experts around the world volunteer their time and expertise to produce the reports of the IPCC. It is important that the author teams aim to reflect a range of scientific, technical and socio-economic views and backgrounds. The IPCC also seeks a balance of men and women, as well as between those experienced with working on IPCC reports and those new to the process, including younger scientists.

“Bringing together diverse voices, expertise, and regional perspectives is crucial to producing a globally relevant and well-informed report,” said Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Co-Chair Mazhar Hayat. 

The 2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers is being prepared by the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories.  The Task Force Bureau will select Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors and Review Editors from the list of nominations.

Those interested in being nominated as part of the author team should contact their relevant Focal Point. A list of Focal Points for IPCC member governments and observer organizations is available here.

Governments, Observer Organizations, and IPCC Bureau Members have been requested to submit their nominations by 13 September 2024 (midnight CEST).

Nominations are submitted through a dedicated online nomination tool by Focal Points and IPCC Bureau Members only.

More information on the nomination process is here and how the IPCC selects its authors is available here.

For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions on nominations or contact:

IPCC Press Office, Email: ipcc-media@wmo.int

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 Task Force Bureaus at the IPCC’s Plenary Session in Nairobi. 

At its first Plenary Session in the seventh assessment cycle – the 60^th Plenary Session in Istanbul, Türkiye, in January 2024 – the Panel agreed to produce in this cycle the three Working Group contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7), namely the Working Group I report on the Physical Science Basis, the Working Group II report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability and the Working Group III report on Mitigation of Climate Change. The Synthesis Report of the Seventh Assessment Report will be produced after the completion of the Working Group reports and released by late 2029.

The Panel decided already during the previous cycle to produce a Special Report on Climate Change and Cities and a Methodology Report on Short-lived Climate Forcers during AR7. Scientists have also been asked to deliver a Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage.  At the 61st Session, the Panel agreed upon the outlines for the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities scheduled for approval and publication in March 2027 and for the 2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers scheduled for publication in the second half of 2027.

In addition, a revision of the 1994 IPCC Technical Guidelines on impacts and adaptation as well as adaptation indicators, metrics and guidelines, will be developed in conjunction with the Working Group II report and published as a separate product.

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.  

-ENDS-

GENEVA, Aug 9 – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change, is calling for nominations of authors for its Special Report on Climate Change and Cities scheduled to be released in March 2027.

The call for nominations follows agreement on the outline of the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities at the 61st Session of the IPCC held in Sofia, Bulgaria from 27 July to 2 August 2024. The Panel also agreed on the outline for the 2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers.

 “The report’s co-produced outline integrates deep scientific inputs from experts with policy-relevant concerns of governments, while also telling a story which enables climate action within and around cities,” said IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair Winston Chow.

Coordinating Lead Authors and Lead Authors are responsible for drafting the different chapters of the Special Report and revising those based on comments submitted during the two rounds of IPCC reviews. Hundreds of experts around the world in the different areas volunteer their time and expertise to produce the reports of the IPCC. Author teams aim to reflect a range of scientific, technical and socio-economic views and backgrounds.

IPCC author teams include a mix of authors from different regions. The IPCC also seeks a balance of men and women, as well as between those experienced with working on IPCC reports and those new to the process, including younger scientists.

 “It is important to ensure multiple perspectives are represented in our pool of authors, reviewers and coordinators. Inclusivity is an important theme for us, and we want people to get involved and get heard,” said IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair Bart van den Hurk.

The Special Report on Climate Change and Cities is being prepared under the scientific leadership of all three Working Groups with support from the Technical Support Unit of Working Group II. Co-Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the three Working Groups will select the author teams from the lists of nominations, with inputs from the three Working Group Bureau Members.

Those interested in being nominated as part of the author team should contact their relevant Focal Point. A list of Focal Points for IPCC member governments and observer organizations is available here.

Governments, Observer Organizations, and IPCC Bureau Members have been requested to submit nominations of Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, and Review Editors by 20 September 2024 (midnight CEST).

Nominations are submitted through a dedicated online nomination tool by Focal Points and IPCC Bureau Members only.

More information on the nomination process is here and how the IPCC selects its authors is available here.

For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions on nominations or contact:

IPCC Press Office, Email: ipcc-media@wmo.int

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 Task Force Bureaus at the IPCC’s Plenary Session in Nairobi. 

At its first Plenary Session in the seventh assessment cycle – the 60^th Plenary Session in Istanbul, Türkiye, in January 2024 – the Panel agreed to produce in this cycle the three Working Group contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7), namely the Working Group I report on the Physical Science Basis, the Working Group II report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability and the Working Group III report on Mitigation of Climate Change. The Synthesis Report of the Seventh Assessment Report will be produced after the completion of the Working Group reports and released by late 2029.

The Panel decided already during the previous cycle to produce a Special Report on Climate Change and Cities and a Methodology Report on Short-lived Climate Forcers during AR7. Scientists have also been asked to deliver a Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage. At the 61st Session, the Panel agreed upon the outlines for the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities scheduled for approval and publication in March 2027 and for the 2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcersscheduled for publication in the second half 2027.

In addition, a revision of the 1994 IPCC Technical Guidelines on impacts and adaptation as well as adaptation indicators, metrics and guidelines, will be developed in conjunction with the Working Group II report and published as a separate product.

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.  

-ENDS-

SOFIA, Aug 2 – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) at its 61^st Plenary Session in Sofia, Bulgaria, has agreed on the outlines of the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities and the 2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers. More than 230 delegates from 114 member governments attending the week-long meeting in the Bulgarian capital also agreed on the respective timelines of the two reports.

“The Panel’s decision today paves the way for the critically important next stages in our work — the nomination and selection of authors who will actually write these two reports. We are keen for these processes to bring on board the most diverse and inclusive group of authors yet,” said IPCC Chair Jim Skea.

“The timing of these two reports confirms the continued policy relevance of IPCC scientific reports.”

The calls for nominations of authors are scheduled for release as early as next week.

The agreed outline of the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities includes trends, challenges and opportunities for cities in a changing climate, the actions and solutions to reduce urban risks and emissions, how to facilitate and accelerate change in the context of cities, and solutions by city and types and regions. Panel’s approval and publication of this Special Report are scheduled for March 2027. The detailed outline is available here.

The scientific leadership of the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities is shared between the IPCC’s three Working Groups. The Co-Chairs of Working Group II – Winston Chow and Bart van den Hurk – who are leading the report’s production, stressed that this Special Report is of immense relevance to many stakeholders around the world for implementing effective climate action in cities, adding that their team is dedicated to its timely development over the next three years.

The 2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers will guide the preparation and reporting of a national inventory of emissions of short-lived climate forcers. The planned publication time of this Methodology Report is the second half 2027. The detailed outline is available here.

Based on the report from the upcoming scoping meeting of the three Working Groups’ contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report, which is scheduled to take place in December 2024, at its next Plenary in early 2025, the Panel will agree on their respective scope, outlines, and work plans, including schedules and budgets.

To request interviews with the IPCC Chair and other Bureau Members, please email ipcc-media@wmo.int.

For more information please contact:

IPCC Press Office, Email: ipcc-media@wmo.int

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. 

At its first Plenary Session in the seventh assessment cycle – the 60^th Plenary Session in Istanbul, Türkiye, in January 2024 – the Panel agreed to produce in this cycle the three Working Group contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7), namely the Working Group I report on the Physical Science Basis, the Working Group II report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability and the Working Group III report on Mitigation of Climate Change. The Synthesis Report of the Seventh Assessment Report will be produced after the completion of the Working Group reports and released by late 2029.

The Panel decided already during the previous cycle to produce a Special Report on Climate Change and Cities and a Methodology Report on Short-lived Climate Forcers during AR7. Scientists have also been asked to deliver a Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage.

In addition, a revision of the 1994 IPCC Technical Guidelines on impacts and adaptation as well as adaptation indicators, metrics and guidelines, will be developed in conjunction with the Working Group II report and published as a separate product.

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.  

-ENDS-

Sofia, 27 July 2024

CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

Distinguished Delegates, ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues,

As the Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the IPCC – it is my great pleasure to offer a warm welcome at the beginning of the IPCC’s 61^st plenary to all government delegations, representatives of observer organizations and IPCC Bureau members, as well as distinguished guests!

We are immensely grateful to the Bulgarian government and the city of Sofia for hosting this important meeting and ensuring excellent facilities and working conditions for the successful conduct of our plenary.

I must mention that I also had the great privilege of visiting the Bulgarian Academy of Science day before yesterday, where I addressed the “International Scientific Conference on Climate risks in the Black Sea region” and witnessed the strength of the scientific capacity in this region.

This is why I am particularly pleased that the Bulgarian Minister of Environment and Water, Petar Dimitrov, is here with us.

We will also hear this morning from the Mayor of Sofia, Vassil Terziev and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nevyana Miteva.

I would also like to welcome the President of the World Meteorological Organization Abdulla Al Mandous.

We also screen the special video messages from the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, and from the Director of the Adaptation Division at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Youssef Nassef.

Special thanks are due to our Secretariat led by Abdalah Mokssit for all the hard work they did to ensure the smooth running of this session and the excellent training and pre-briefing sessions held yesterday.

This is the second plenary of the seventh assessment cycle. Building on the decisions made at the cycle’s inaugural plenary in Istanbul in January, we will continue laying down the critically important and very specific foundational building blocks for our upcoming work.

With many thanks to the IPCC Bureau members for preparing the materials for this session, I stress that our agenda over the next seven days is both complex and testing.

Based on successful scientific scoping meetings in February and April, we have the draft outlines of the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities and the Methodology Report on Short-Lived Climate Forcers on our agenda.

As the Panel decided in Istanbul, these two reports are to be released in 2027. The Panel’s careful consideration and agreement on the two outlines will give an important impetus to initiate their production and ensure their timely release.

As the Chair, I also must highlight the importance of the discussion about the IPCC´s strategic planning schedule for this cycle.

This has far-reaching implications in terms of the timeliness of our products, and the inclusivity of both our own processes the the science that is being assessed.

In addition to the progress reports and a few other items deriving from the decisions the Panel took at the previous sessions, over the coming days we will also examine a document prepared by the Ad-Hoc Group on lessons learned from the past cycle. Careful consideration of how to take forward the many topics covered in that document can help us shape an improved cycle in virtually every aspect of the work ahead of us.

The importance of our work over the coming days merits the full attention and commitment of delegates. I am confident that the far-reaching decisions will empower the IPCC to deliver its best and most relevant work yet.

As the individual responsible for chairing our proceedings and our complex search for consensus, I must impress upon all of us the need to uphold the highest standards of debate and ensure a constructive, solution-oriented and respectful spirit throughout this plenary. When we work together, we deliver.

Thank you.

GENEVA, July 24 – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will meet for its 61^st Plenary Session in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, from 27 July to 2 August. During a week-long meeting the delegates of 195 member governments will discuss important matters related to production of IPCC reports during the seventh assessment cycle which began last July with the election of the new Chair and new IPCC Bureau members.

This is the second plenary meeting of the current cycle. Among other issues, the Panel will consider the strategic planning schedule which will define a detailed production timeline for all the IPCC reports planned for the seventh cycle and the draft outlines of the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities and the Methodology Report on Short-Lived Climate Forcers. Based on the Panel’s earlier decision, these two reports are scheduled for release in 2027. The Panel’s busy agenda will also include discussions about the lessons learned from the sixth assessment cycle.

The 61^st Plenary Session of the IPCC will be ceremoniously opened at 10.00 a.m. local time in Sofia on Saturday, 27 July, at the Grand Hotel Millenium Sofia.

Delegates representing IPCC member governments and observer organizations will be addressed by the IPCC Chair Jim Skea, the President of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Abdulla Al Mandous, the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme   Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Bulgarian Minister of Environment and Water Petar Dimitrov, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nevyana Miteva and the Mayor of Sofia Vassil Terziev.

.The opening will also include special video messages from the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Simon Stiell and the Deputy Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organisation Ko Barrett.

Except for the opening segment, IPCC Plenary Sessions are closed meetings. A recording of the opening speeches and visuals will be posted on the IPCC website here.

To request an interview with the IPCC Chair and other Bureau Members, please email ipcc-media@wmo.int.

For more information please contact:
IPCC Press Office, Email: ipcc-media@wmo.int

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.  

-ENDS-

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is calling on its member governments and observer organizations to nominate experts to the meeting that will draft the outline of the Methodology Report on the Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage. The meeting is being organized by the IPCC Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (TFI) and is tentatively scheduled for the second half of October this year.

Nominated experts for the meeting should have relevant expertise about the estimation of sinks or sources from:

• Direct air carbon dioxide capture and storage (DACCS)
• Bioenergy carbon capture and storage
• Carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and storage
• Concrete carbonation
• Enhanced weathering
• Ocean alkalinity enhancement
• Blue carbon management in coastal wetlands
• Soil carbon sequestration in crop and grasslands
• Peatland and coastal wetland restoration 
• Biochar
• Ocean fertilization
• Wastewater treatment/ wastewater alkalinity
• Forestry
• Other carbon dioxide removal technologies not specified above

On carbon capture, utilization and storage expertise, those to be nominated should have expertise in relation to the estimation of sources or sinks from:

• Carbon dioxide capture
• Carbon dioxide transport
• Carbon dioxide injection
• Carbon dioxide storage
• Carbon dioxide use:

a. Enhanced oil, gas, coal bed methane recovery
b. Production of chemicals
c. Production of other products

The Working Group III contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report found that “the deployment of carbon dioxide removal to counterbalance hard-to-abate residual emissions is unavoidable if net zero CO2 or GHG emissions are to be achieved. The IPCC noted that a review of its 2006 Guidelines for the preparation of national inventories is timely and at its 60th Session requested its Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories to develop a Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage. This scoping meeting will draft the outline for this Methodology Report to be considered by the Panel in early 2025. The Methodology Report itself is expected to be finalized by the end of 2027

More information on the preparation of IPCC reports, including the scoping process is available from the IPCC Principles and Procedures.

Those interested in being nominated as an expert for participation in the scoping meeting should contact the relevant Focal Point. A list of Focal Points for IPCC member governments and observer organizations is available here.

Focal points are expected to submit nominations by midnight CEST on Friday, 19 July 2024.

Nominations are submitted through a dedicated online nomination tool by Focal Points only.

For more information contact:
IPCC Press Office, Email: ipcc-media@wmo.int

The Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Jim Skea, received today one of the highest honours in the United Kingdom. 

King Charles III, the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, conferred the honour of Knighthood upon Prof. Jim Skea – a prestigious recognition usually granted to those who have made a significant contribution to their field. 

The King´s Birthday Honours List 2024 was published this morning in London as a Supplement of The Gazette No. 64423.

IPCC Chair Sir Jim Skea said:

“I am humbled and honoured for this royal recognition. I receive this honour with a great sense of professional and personal pride. As the Chair of the IPCC, I am grateful for the privilege to lead and work with thousands of the world´s best scientists on delivering the most authoritative scientific reports about climate change, empowering policymakers at all levels to understand our climate system, climate change and how to tackle it. 

This honour comes in the middle of the critical decade for climate action. It is a powerful recognition for the voice of science. Climate change has confronted humanity with unprecedented challenges. But science and the IPCC’s work have shown that we have the knowledge, means and tools to address them. We have agency over our future if we choose to use it.”

Jim Skea was elected IPCC Chair for the Seventh Assessment cycle in July 2023. 

From 2015 to 2023, Jim was Co-chair of Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, focusing on climate change mitigation. He was part of the scientific leadership for the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C.

Jim Skea was a Professor of Sustainable Energy at Imperial College London from 2009 to 2023. His research interests include energy, climate change and technological innovation.

He was the Chair of Scotland’s Just Transition Commission from 2018 to 2023, and was a founding member of the UK’s Committee on Climate Change, acting as its Scottish champion.

Between 2012 and 2017 Professor Skea was Research Councils UK’s Energy Strategy Fellow and was President of the Energy Institute between 2015 and 2017. He was Research Director of the UK Energy Research Centre from 2004-2012.

Born in Scotland, Jim Skea read Mathematical Physics at Edinburgh University, followed by a PhD in energy research at Cambridge University’s Cavendish Laboratory. In 1981, he moved to Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to work on emerging US energy and environment policy. He then worked at the Science Policy Research Unit at Sussex University (1983-1998), where he moved through the ranks, becoming a Professorial Fellow in 1994. He was subsequently Director of the Policy Studies Institute (1998-2004).

He was awarded an OBE in 2004 and a CBE in 2013 for his work on sustainable transport and sustainable energy, respectively.

For more information contact:

IPCC Press Office, Email: ipcc-media@wmo.int 

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. 

At its 69th Session (January 2024, Istanbul), the Panel agreed to produce the three Working Group contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report, a Special Report on Climate Change and Cities and a Methodology Report on Short-lived Climate Forcers. During this cycle, the Panel will also deliver a Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage.

In addition, a revision of the 1994 IPCC Technical Guidelines on impacts and adaptation as well as adaptation indicators, metrics and guidelines, will be developed in conjunction with the Working Group II report and published as a separate product.

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.  

GENEVA, June 1 – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will be taking part in the 60th session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SBs) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Taking place in Bonn from 3 to 13 June it is also known as the Bonn Climate Conference.

In the lead-up to the Conference, on 2 June, the IPCC Chair, Jim Skea, will address the opening of the Dialogue on the importance of Just Transition pathways to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

On 3 June, the first official day of the Conference, the IPCC Secretary Abdalah Mokssit will speak at the opening of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).

The next day, 4 June, the IPCC Chair will address the opening of the Research Dialogue.

Over the next week, the IPCC will also participate in the expert dialogue on children and climate change, expert dialogue on mountains and climate change, and the in-session workshop on progress in implementing the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan and on future work to be undertaken under gender and climate change.

The IPCC Task Force on Greenhouse Gas Inventories (TFI), together with the UNFCCC Secretariat, will host a side event on the IPCC Inventory Software as a tool to support the Enhanced Transparency Framework Implementation under the Paris Agreement on 5 June.

At another side event scheduled for 6 June, the IPCC Chair and Bureau Members will present the scientific foundations of the products that will be produced in the IPCC’s seventh assessment cycle and plans to enhance engagement with IPCC Focal Points.

In addition to these, IPCC experts will also be taking part in other side events and activities.

Further details about the events in this media advisory and other activities with IPCC involvement will be available here.

For interview requests with the IPCC experts that will be in Bonn, please email ipcc-media@wmo.int.

For more information contact:
IPCC Press Office, Email: ipcc-media@wmo.int

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. 

At its 60th Session (January 2024, Istanbul), the Panel agreed to produce the three Working Group contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report and its Synthesis Report, a Special Report on Climate Change and Cities and a Methodology Report on Short-lived Climate Forcers. During this cycle, the Panel will also deliver a Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage.

In addition, a revision of the 1994 IPCC Technical Guidelines on impacts and adaptation as well as adaptation indicators, metrics and guidelines, will be developed in conjunction with the Working Group II report and published as a separate product.

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.