DURBAN, South Africa, Jan 15 – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II, which deals with the impacts, adaptation and vulnerability to climate change, will start preparing its contribution to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) with a meeting of experts in Durban, South Africa, on 20-25 January 2019.
More than 250 authors and IPCC Bureau members from more than 60 countries will come together in Durban for their First Lead Author Meeting to map out their assessment and details of the drafting process.
“It is an honour to host the first meeting for this major report in Durban,” said Debra Roberts, Working Group II Co-Chair and Head of the Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit in the eThekwini Municipality in Durban. “This highlights the important leadership role of cities in the global fight against climate change. At the same time, it emphasises the contributions that the African continent makes to the IPCC assessments.”
The Working Group II contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report focuses on the impacts of climate change on natural and human systems and their vulnerabilities. It also analyses the capacities and limits of these systems to adapt to climate change and options to reduce climate-associated risks and for creating a sustainable future.
The report, along with contributions from the other two IPCC Working Groups, will be finalized in 2021.
In 2022, a Synthesis Report integrating the three working group contributions and other IPCC products in the sixth assessment cycle will complete AR6, in time for the first global stocktake in 2023 by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) when countries will review progress under the Paris Agreement towards their goal of keeping global warming to well below 2°C while pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
“Working Group II authors will look closely at the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, human wellbeing, functioning of society and evaluate options for adaptation in the context of solution pathways at local, regional and global scales,” said IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair Hans-Otto Pörtner. “The Working Group II report will provide a profound scientific basis for country efforts to reduce the risks from climate change.”
The Bureau of IPCC Working Group II selected the author teams for the chapters from more than 1000 nominations submitted by governments and IPCC Observer Organizations. The selection aims to balance expertise, gender, countries and regions to ensure that diverse views and scientific disciplines are included.
After the Lead Author Meeting in Durban, authors will develop a draft of the report for internal review. The First Order Draft will be available for Expert Review from 18 October to 13 December 2019. The Second Order Draft will be open for Government and Expert Review from 7 August to 2 October 2020, along with the first draft of the Summary for Policymakers (SPM). The approval of the SPM is currently scheduled for 4-8 October 2021.
For further information about the Working Group II contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2021: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, including the outline, the timeline and a link to the author database, please check the report page.
Media briefing
Monday, 21 January 2019, 8:00 – 8:30 a.m.
Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Center (ICC), 45 Bram Fischer Road, Durban
Speakers:
Hoesung Lee, IPCC Chair
Youba Sokona, IPCC Vice Chair
Debra Roberts, IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair
Hans-Otto Pörtner, IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair
Media are also invited to attend the opening ceremony of the meeting on Monday, 21 January 2019, at 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. in the same location. Please contact the IPCC at the addresses below for further information or additional requests.
Outreach event at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban
Tuesday, 22 January, 18:30 – 20:15
Unite Building, Howard College Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban
After a panel discussion with representatives of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the eThekwini Municipality and the IPCC, guests are invited to use the opportunity for conversations with the panellists and additional IPCC experts.
Panelists:
Rashieda Davids, Research Manager, Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems at the University of KwaZulu-Natal
Andrew Alan Mather, eThekwini Municipality
Bronwyn Hayward, CLA WGIIAR6 Chapter 6 Cities and LA SR15
Aromar Revi, CLA WGIIAR6 Chapter 18 Climate Resilient Development Pathways, CLA SR15, CLA WGIIAR5 Chapter 8 Urban Areas, LA AR4 SYR TS
Guéladio Cissé, CLA WGIIAR6 Chapter 7 Health, Wellbeing and the Changing structure of Communities
Christopher Trisos, CLA WGIIAR6 Chapter 9 Africa
The event will be livestreamed by the University of KwaZulu-Natal at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUByt_Oyo9fGb6nhf3oVZQ/live
Outreach event at Buffelsdraai reforestation site
Wednesday, 23 January 2019
additional information upon request
For more information please contact:
IPCC Working Group II Technical Support Unit
Maike Nicolai (in Durban 18-27 January 2019)
IPCC Press Office
Jonathan Lynn, +41 22 730 8066 or Werani Zabula, +41 22 730 8120, e-mail: ipcc-media@wmo.int