The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC) has selected the team of experts – comprising coordinating lead authors, authors and review editors – who will prepare the Special Report on “Global Warming of 1.5ºC: an IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty (SR1.5)”.
The report will be finalised in September 2018 in time for the facilitative dialogue under the Paris Agreement that will take place later that year.
“The selection of the authors for the IPCC’s 1.5oC report is the first step in the critical journey started at COP21. This special report will facilitate this important journey by assessing the available science and highlighting the policy options available to support the achievement of a climate safe, equitable and sustainable world,” said Debra Roberts, Co-Chair of Working Group II.
The members of all three IPCC Working Group carefully considered all nominations and developed the final list of authors and review editors in a detailed and iterative selection process. The selection was undertaken according to the Principles Governing IPCC Work, considering the required scientific, technical and socio-economic expertise, geographical representation, gender balance, and the inclusion of experts with and without previous IPCC experience.
Eighty-six experts from 39 countries will undertake the assessment, selected from over 560 nominations received from national focal points and IPCC observer organisations. 38% of the experts are women, 51% come from developing countries and economies in transition (statistic based on experts’ citizenship), 26% are new to the IPCC process.
“There is great interest in the scientific community to contribute to this IPCC Special Report, as evidenced by a constant flow of new peer-review publications related to various dimensions of global warming of 1.5°C, and also by the large number of high profile nominations for participants to the scoping meeting, last August, and now for Lead Authors and Review Editors of the report,” said Valérie Masson-Delmotte, Co-Chair of Working Group I. “The selection process was challenging, as we could on average only retain one expert out of 6-7. We will bring together a strong team to the first Lead Author meeting, on 6-10 March in Brazil.”
The continued interest and support for the IPCC assessment is solicited, for example contributing as an Expert Reviewer during the review this special report. A call will be opened for experts to register for the Expert Review of the First Order Draft that will take place in August-September.
