The recently closed call for experts to participate in the Scoping Meeting for the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities has received applications from a highly diverse pool of Italian experts from various fields of expertise. 38 applications were submitted to the IPCC Bureau.

The call, issued by the IPCC, initiated the process for the selection of participants by the IPCC Bureau for the Scoping Meeting that will be held in late March/early April 2024 and will produce the scope and outline of the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities. The final product of the meeting will be a Scoping Paper, including objectives, outline and timeline of the future Special Report. This will be scrutinized during the 61st IPCC Plenary Session.

The IPCC Focal Point for Italy was responsible for the collection of the compliant nominations from experts affiliated with Italian institutions and their transmission to the IPCC Bureau for evaluation. The call was successful beyond expectations and received nominations from experts involved in a diverse range of fields, such as urban energy efficiency, coastal risk assessment, regional climate modeling, regenerative urban policies, and climate justice. The candidates’ background covered all aspects of the climate crisis in the urban context, from the physical science basis to the impacts and solutions.

“We are very satisfied that we were able to propose such a diverse pool of outstanding nominations from Italy to the IPCC, including a balanced representation of scientists, practitioners and policymakers for the Bureau to choose from. With an interest in improving the gender balance in IPCC activities, we can report that, overall, we received more applications from women than men. The high level of interest in responding to this call demonstrates how enthusiastic Italian experts are to contribute to this Special Report and the IPCC more broadly” Anna Pirani, Focal Point alternate for Italy, commented. 

 

 A visual showcase of the applicants’ diverse backgrounds

The final selection will be conducted by the IPCC, who will inform directly successful candidates. The IPCC Focal Point for Italy will provide news and organize follow up discussions on the preparation of the Special Report, as well as other IPCC activities.

More information about the call and the procedures is available on the IPCC website