Five UCL experts join IPCC’s 7th assessment reports on climate science, adaptation & mitigation

“Taking action on climate change is dependent on high-quality scientific assessments to guide decision-making and the crafting of solutions. When it comes to the issue of climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is considered the most authoritative assessor of the latest scientific evidence. UCL experts will be at the heart of the IPCC’s new assessment cycle, synthesising the scientific basis for climate action. 

Last week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) announced its selection of experts who will participate in its Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) across its three Working Groups on the physical science basis (WGI), impacts, adaptation and vulnerability (WGII) and mitigation of climate change (WGIII). 

We are excited to announce that five UCL experts will be helping to lead these efforts: Shipra Jain and Thaisa Comelli from the Department of Risk and Disaster Reduction, Lisa Vanhala from the Department of Political Science, Nadia Ameli from The Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources and Yacob Mulugetta from the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) have all be chosen as part of an open competitive process to play a leading role in the IPCC AR7 process. For the next four years, each of our experts will contribute to a particular chapter in their respective Working Group (find a full list of chapters and authors/review editors here).

We asked our experts what their IPCC involvement means to them and what expertise and perspectives they will bring to this endeavour.

Shipra Jain, Lecturer in Meteorological Risk, will act as a Coordinating Lead Author in AR7 WGI, co-authoring Chapter 8 on “Abrupt changes, low-likelihood high impact events and critical thresholds, including tipping points, in the Earth system”. For Dr Jain, it is “both a privilege and a responsibility” to participate in the IPCC as it constitutes the most authoritative global assessment on climate knowledge. As a first-time IPCC author, she feels honoured to contribute her expertise on understanding weather and climate extremes as a new voice in the process. She explains, “I believe that author turnover is crucial — it keeps the process dynamic, maintains rigor and neutrality”. What excited Dr Jain the most:

“The IPCC isn’t just about producing assessments — it’s about turning the best science into knowledge the world can act on. It is also a big step in my career, and in many ways, it feels like moving from behind the scenes to right at the forefront. Being part of the IPCC means I get to see the process through — from knowledge-building all the way to shaping assessments that inform global decisions.

Thaisa Comelli, Senior Research Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, will serve as Lead Author on AR7 WGII Chapter 1 which provides the “Point of departure, framing and key concepts” for the WGII report. Dr Comelli’s work explores climate urbanism, environmental and climate justice.

Lisa Vanhala, Professor of Political Science and Pro-Vice Provost of the UCL Grand Challenge of the Climate Crisis, will participate in the IPCC WGII as Coordinating Lead Author on a historic chapter on losses and damages from climate change – it is the first time loss and damage is being addressed as its own chapter in the work of the IPCC. As a world-leading expert in the policies and politics of climate change loss and damage from the UN to the local level, Professor Vanhala looks forward to “working in a truly collaborative, cross-national and interdisciplinary way to highlight effective ways of responding to climate-related losses.” She adds that: 

“This is a critical moment for elevating both technical solutions that have been developed across the hard sciences but also for drawing on lessons from across the social sciences, law as well as the arts and humanities in supporting vulnerable individuals, communities and countries to navigate climate change loss and damage.

As Coordinating Lead Authors (CLAs), both Dr Jain and Professor Vanhala will not only support the drafting of their respective chapters but also take a leading role in managing their chapter teams together with their co-CLAs.

Nadia Ameli, Professor of Climate Finance at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources, will be a Lead Author on WGIII Chapter 7 on “Finance”. Becoming an IPCC author, for Professor Ameli, is also “both a responsibility and an opportunity” as she has the chance to contribute her expertise at the intersection of climate science and financial systems to the IPCC. IPCC reports are “one of the most respected global scientific assessments, where diverse evidence is rigorously synthesized to inform decisions at the highest international level”. Professor Ameli further notes:

“For me, it is a chance to help ensure that finance – the engine of the global transition – is fully reflected in this knowledge base, recognizing its central role in enabling climate action. With COP in Brazil on the horizon, the IPCC’s assessments will be crucial in clarifying how ambition can be matched with investment and how global commitments can be translated into actionable pathways.

For longstanding IPCC author Yacob Mulugetta, Professor of Energy and Development Policy at STEaPP, this Seventh Assessment Cycle will be third cycle that he contributes to as an author on WGIII. With his expertise in energy systems, development and climate change, Professor Mulugetta will co-author AR7 WGIII Chapter 3 on “Projected futures in the context of sustainable development and climate change”. 

The fact that we have at least one UCL expert represented in each IPCC Working Group demonstrates the world-leading expertise that UCL offers in the field of climate change science and policy – from the physical science basis to evidence, policy and governance of climate change adaptation and mitigation.

We wish our experts the best of luck for their IPCC engagement and look forward to the important outputs they will co-produce with their IPCC colleagues.