More than 100 leading scientists from 56 countries met in Oslo, Norway from 12 to 16 January 2026 for the Third Lead Author Meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities. The meeting, hosted by the Norwegian government, advanced the work on the Second Order Draft (SOD) of IPCC’s only special report in the seventh assessment cycle, scheduled for release in 2027.
The Special Report on Climate Change and Cities will provide a timely assessment of the latest science, including climate impacts and risks for urban areas, as well as adaptation and mitigation options.
The Special Report was extensively scoped in early 2024, and its outline was agreed by the IPCC Panel at its 61st Session (Sofia, Bulgaria, July 2024). The report has five Chapters, and the report is drafted with an author team consisting of more than 100 leading scientists from 56 countries, including one Lead Author from Norway. This Special Report is scheduled for completion in March 2027.
IPCC reports are drafted through multiple review stages. The First Lead Author Meeting (Osaka, Japan, March 2024) allowed selected authors to kickstart the drafting process. The Second Lead Author Meeting (Mombasa, Kenya, July 2024) advanced the work on the First Order Draft, that was then open for experts to review from mid-October to mid-December 2025. Thousands of urban experts participated as reviewers during the first Expert Review. The First Order Draft received over 32,000 comments from more than 1,300 expert reviewers.
At the Third Lead Author Meeting, Chapter teams discussed review comments and how to respond to these in preparing the next draft of the report. This was the first time that the Review Editors attended the Lead Author Meeting, to ensuring the integrity of the IPCC review process and that all substantive review comments are addressed. The Second Order Draft will be made available for formal review by experts and by governments in May 2026.
For more questions about the Third Lead Author Meeting or scheduling media interviews with Working Group II Co-Chairs, please contact Woo Qiyun, Senior Communications Manager of IPCC Working Group II Technical Support Unit: media@ipccwg2.org