The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has issued a call for experts to participate in the Scoping Meeting for the Methodology Report on the Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage. The IPCC Focal Point for Italy invites expressions of interest from Italian-affiliated experts to participate in the meeting. Deadline for applications that will be submitted to the IPCC by the Focal Point for Italy is 5 July 2024.

*Note for Italian speakers: Poiché tutti i lavori riguardanti i Report dell’IPCC si svolgono in lingua inglese, così come tutti i materiali da fornire per proporre la propria candidatura sono richiesti in lingua inglese, tutte le comunicazioni ufficiali dell’IPCC Focal Point per l’Italia relative alla manifestazione di interesse saranno in lingua inglese.

 

Anna Pirani, Focal Point alternate for Italy and CMCC senior research associate, held an “Open Hour” webinar to present the Call for nomination of experts to the Scoping Meeting for the Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage, interacting with the audience during a Q&A session.

Giacomo Grassi, Scientific officer at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and member of the Bureau of the Task Force on greenhouse gas inventories (TFI) joined the webinar to share his insights and advice with the audience.

The presentation introduced the work of the IPCC Focal Point for Italy in collecting applications for the upcoming Scoping Meeting to be submitted to the IPCC Bureau for its final evaluation. Pirani explained in detail the Scoping Meeting design, objectives and requirements to be selected for participation.

Applications should be submitted to the IPCC Focal Point for Italy by Friday, 5 July 2024 (midnight CEST).

The speakers’ slides are available for download.

• Anna Pirani
• Giacomo Grassi

How to apply

The IPCC Focal Point for Italy invites expressions of interest from Italian-affiliated experts to participate in the Scoping Meeting and will submit nominations meeting the expertise criteria and minimum application standards to the IPCC official platform. The selection of participants will be carried out by the IPCC Task Force for GHG Inventories Bureau.

To be considered for participation, please follow these steps: 

• Download the .xlsx form from this link
• Fill out the Excel nomination form (please note that the form has two tabs and make sure to select max. 8 areas of expertise);
• Send an email message to: fp@cmcc.it including
  • Excel nomination form filled in all the required fields. Kindly rename the file as follows: Last name_form.xlsx
  • An updated CV (2 to 4 pages – max file size is 2MB – .pdf format). Kindly rename the file as follows: Last name_CV.pdf
• Send the nomination form and CV to ipcc.fp@cmcc.it in .xlsx and .pdf format respectively, by Friday, 5 July 2024 (midnight CEST).

Nominations that do not follow these instructions will not be considered in the selection process.

Italian-affiliated experts whose candidature will be accepted by the IPCC Bureau, please note that the costs for participating in the Scoping Meeting will need to be covered by the participant’s affiliated institution.

 

More information on how to apply through the IPCC Focal Point for Italy here.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the IPCC Focal Point for Italy via ipcc.fp@cmcc.it.

Frequently asked questions

Here is a list of answers to the most frequently asked questions on how to submit a nomination for the IPCC call for experts.

I am a non-Italian national working in Italy, should I apply through the Focal Point for Italy?

The Focal Point for Italy facilitates the input of experts based in Italy into the IPCC process. You are welcome to send your application through us.
Submission of your application by the Focal Point does not imply endorsement.

I am Italian, but I have an affiliation with a foreign institution. How can I apply?

You should contact the national Focal Point for the country where you are working. The full list of contacts is available here.
If you do not have the Focal Point’s email address, please contact the IPCC Secretariat: IPCC-Sec@wmo.int
Observer organizations of the IPCC can also submit nominations.

Are funds available to cover travel to participate in the IPCC Meetings?

How funding is arranged depends on each country, for this reason you should contact your national Focal Point.
In the case of Italy, the expenses to participate in IPCC meetings will need to be covered by your institution / employer.
In the case of participants from developing countries, these expenses are covered by the IPCC. Your travel will be arranged by the IPCC Secretariat and funded through the IPCC Trust Fund.
Member countries, including Italy, make financial contributions to the IPCC Trust Fund so that these resources are available.

Who will select the experts that will be invited to IPCC meetings and activities?

The selection of participants for the scoping meeting is carried out by the IPCC Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Bureau members.

I am an early career expert, should I apply to participate in the scoping meeting?

Participants of scoping meetings need to bring a mature knowledge basis and perspective that represents key areas of expertise identified as needed for the scoping meeting. This representation needs to be suitable in an international context in a fast-moving discussion. The scoping meeting is quite different from a typical scientific meeting, symposium or conference. It is also important to have a very good understanding of the IPCC assessment process, the science-policy interface and the policy spheres that the IPCC reports can inform.
This context may be less suited for early career experts who should consider building experience in the IPCC, for example as Expert Reviewers of the report drafts, as Contributing Authors, or as Authors of the reports. There are also other options to contribute, such as the Chapter Scientist role, and also it may be of interest to check whether there are job opportunities to join the Technical Support Units of the Working Groups.

If the IPCC selects me, will my participation be considered mandatory or can I opt out?

If you submit your nomination to be selected, you need to be committed to participating.
The selection process is highly competitive, with many hundreds, even over a thousand, experts wishing to participate. If you are selected, you should not then change your mind unless there are exceptional circumstances that prevent you from participating.
It may not be possible to replace you in the final list of available places to participate, so this could result in a wasted opportunity for others.

Is it envisaged that the experts that take part in the scoping meeting are cited as authors or co-authors of the report, taking ownership of the report output?

Participants of the scoping meeting will be acknowledged in the report that is produced as an outcome of the meeting, not as authors of the meeting report. The meeting report will be prepared by the IPCC Bureau. It will be submitted to the IPCC as an Information Note to accompany the proposed decision on the outline and preparation of the report at the next IPCC Plenary Session.
To become an author of the IPCC report itself, you would need to be selected following the call for nominations that will be opened once the IPCC has decided on the report scope, outline, and timeline.

Does being selected for the scoping meeting make it easier to participate as an author?

There is no direct link between being selected as a scoping meeting participant and then as an author of the report. In other words, selection of authors does not automatically consider whether you participated at the scoping meeting.

What is the time commitment and length of the process?

As a participant of the scoping meeting, you are committing to fully engaging in the meeting itself that is expected to last 3-4 days. The meeting is a highly interactive process of discussion, sharing ideas, developing proposals and consensus building. Some participants will be invited to co-facilitate discussions, such as in breakout groups, or act as rapporteurs to share discussion outcomes with the full set of participants.
The time commitment of a coordinating lead author, lead author or review editor of an IPCC report is a partial time commitment over approximately a three year period for a Working Group Report (it is about 2 years for a Special Report), with some periods of medium time engagement when drafting your respective section(s) and preparing figures, or responding to review comments, together with certain peak times, e.g. during Lead Author Meetings, or at key points in the timeline when drafts are being finalized.
More about this will be presented in a dedicated future open hour webinar when the IPCC issues its call for author nominations. We will discuss the time commitment and also what undertaking an IPCC assessment consists of.

How relevant to the selection process are my publication list and my participation in other IPCC activities?

Being selected as a scoping meeting participant is professionally significant because this meeting is crucial in the IPCC process. It leads to developing the foundation for an IPCC product expected to have a high impact on policy making and attract a broad audience.
Participating in a scoping meeting does not influence your publication list, but becoming an IPCC author does, as in this case you will be acknowledged as a co-author of the chapter or parts of the report that you will be contributing to.

Can non-scientific experts, particularly those from companies, apply to the scoping meeting?

The selection of experts takes into account backgrounds from relevant stakeholder and user groups, representatives of civil society organizations and local/regional governments.

How many experts will be chosen globally?

Around 80 experts will be selected globally for the scoping meeting of the Methodology report on CDR and CCUS.

Can multiple individuals from one organization apply?

Yes, multiple experts from the same organization can apply, though some internal coordination may help the Bureau members with the selection process, particularly if they have similar backgrounds or areas of expertise.