GENEVA, August 28 – The Government of Ireland is holding an event in Dublin on 30 August to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The following week the IPCC is holding the third Lead Author Meeting for its Special Report on Climate Change and Land, also hosted by the Irish Government.
The 30th anniversary event, to be held from 5.30 to 8.30 p.m. at Trinity College Dublin, is one of a series being held by different governments to mark 30 years since the IPCC was established in 1988.
Speakers include Denis Naughten, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee and Jim Skea, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III, which deals with the mitigation of climate change. These three speakers will be available for a press briefing at 5.00 p.m. immediately before the event.
Other speakers at the anniversary event include Laura Burke, Director-General of the Environmental Protection Agency and Peter Thorne of Maynooth University, who is an IPCC author.
The Lead Author Meeting for the special report, whose full title is 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, will take place in Dublin on 3-7 September. Over 100 authors from all over the world have worked hard on a first draft of the report, which has been reviewed by hundreds of experts.
The authors are meeting next week to prepare a second draft of the report, including a draft Summary for Policymakers, which will be opened to governments and expert reviewers for comment in November and December this year. The report is due to be released in August 2019.
“This report is important because it addresses the interactions between land and the climate system in a fundamental and comprehensive way” said Mr Skea. “Climate change has huge implications for human well-being and our ability to provide food and nutrition, largely mediated by impacts on land.”
“Land is a major source of emissions in many countries and could also act as a sink, drawing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere” he added. “The report will identify measures for adapting to climate change as well as options for reducing emissions and enhancing these carbon sinks. We are very grateful to the Government of Ireland for hosting these meetings.”
To register for the anniversary event on 30 August, go to: https://bit.ly/2NbreRy
For more information contact:
IPCC Press Office:
Werani Zabula, +41 22 730 8120, Email: ipcc-media@wmo.int
IPCC Working Group III Technical Support Unit:
Marion Ferrat, +44 20 7594 9958, Email: tsu@ipcc-wg3.ac.uk