LANZHOU, China, July 19 – Experts from around the world will come together in Lanzhou, China, on 23 – 28 July 2018 to advance preparations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC). The Third Lead Author Meeting of the report will bring together more than 100 scientists from more than 35 countries.
At their meeting, SROCC Lead Authors will discuss next steps and update their chapters, addressing more than 12,000 comments from the Expert Review of the First Order Draft. The Second Order Draft will be available for Expert and Government Review in November 2018. The report will be finalized in September 2019.
“We are grateful for the comprehensive feedback we received in the first Expert Review of this report,” said Hans-Otto Pörtner, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II. “By ensuring that the latest scientific knowledge is included in our assessments, the reviews help us to provide the best available basis for global climate policy. The outcomes of our Lead Author Meeting in Lanzhou will take us a huge step closer to this goal.”
“We are looking forward to the meeting in Lanzhou as we continue developing and refining the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. We believe this report will help policymakers better understand the changes we are seeing and the risks to lives and livelihoods that may occur with future climate change,” said IPCC Vice-Chair Ko Barrett. “The gracious hospitality of our hosts is much appreciated.”
Following proposals from several governments, the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate assesses the latest scientific knowledge about the physical science basis and impacts of climate change on ocean, coastal, polar and mountain ecosystems and human communities that depend on them.
The word cryosphere – from the Greek kryos, meaning cold or ice – describes the areas of the Earth where water is found in its solid state. This includes ice sheets, frozen lakes and rivers, regions covered by snow, glaciers, and frozen soil. Vulnerabilities of different ecosystems as well as adaptation capacities are evaluated, and options for achieving climate resilient development pathways will be presented. The report is being prepared by IPCC Working Group I, which assesses the physical science basis of climate change, and Working Group II, which deals with impacts, adaptation and vulnerability.
Media briefing
Monday, 23 July 2018, 8:00 – 8:30am
Fifth Floor Meeting Room
Lanzhou Hotel, No. 486 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou
Speakers:
Hans-Otto Pörtner, Co-Chair IPCC Working Group II
Debra Roberts, Co-Chair IPCC Working Group II
Valerie Masson-Delmotte, Co-Chair IPCC Working Group I
Panmao Zhai, Co-Chair IPCC Working Group I
Shichang Kang, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Lead Author SROCC Chapter 2 “High Mountain Areas”
Media are also invited to attend the opening ceremony on Monday, 23 July 2018 9:00 – 10:00am, Lanzhou Hotel.
Please contact us at the addresses below for further information or additional requests.
Outreach event at Lanzhou University
Tuesday, 24 July 2018, 7:30 – 10:00pm
Yifu Lecture Hall
Lanzhou University, 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou
Speakers:
Baotian Pan, Vice-President Lanzhou University
Ko Barrett, IPCC Vice Chair
Hans-Otto Pörtner, Co-Chair IPCC Working Group II
Shichang Kang, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Lead Author SROCC Chapter 2 “High Mountain Areas”
Debra Roberts, Co-Chair IPCC Working Group II
Valerie Masson-Delmotte, Co-Chair IPCC Working Group I
Moderator: Yongchun Yang, Vice-Dean College of Resources and Environment, Lanzhou University
Outreach event at the State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science
Thursday, 26 July 2018, 7:30 – 10:00pm
7th floor conference room, Building 3
State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, 320 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou
Speakers:
Tao Wang Director of the Institute of Northwest Eco-Environment and Resources
Valerie Masson-Delmotte, Co-Chair IPCC Working Group I
Hans-Otto Pörtner, Co-Chair IPCC Working Group II
Regine Hock, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Coordinating Lead Author SROCC Chapter 2 “High Mountain Areas”
Stephan Gruber, Carleton University, Lead Author SROCC Chapter 2 “High Mountain Areas”
Moderator: Shichang Kang, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science
For more information, contact:
IPCC Working Group II Technical Support Unit
Maike Nicolai (in Lanzhou July 21-28), e-mail: maike.nicolai@ipcc-wg2.awi.de
IPCC Press Office
Jonathan Lynn, +41 22 730 8066 or Werani Zabula, +41 22 730 8120, 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. It has 195 member states.
Comprehensive scientific assessment reports are published every 6 to 7 years; the latest, the Fifth Assessment Report, was completed in 2014. The next comprehensive assessment is due to be completed in 2022. The IPCC also publishes special reports on more specific issues between assessment reports.
In addition to the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, the IPCC is preparing two other special reports during the current Sixth Assessment Cycle:
Global Warming of 1.5°C, an IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius 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, to be finalized in October 2018
Climate Change and Land, an IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems, to be completed in August 2019
The IPCC also prepares methodologies to enable countries to report their emissions and removals of greenhouse gases. It is currently updating the 2006 IPCC Guidelines on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, for completion in May 2019.