Universities team up to get U.S. scientists into IPCC
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With the extent of official U.S. participation in the next UN climate panel report in doubt, a new group has formed to recruit U.S. authors.
Why it matters: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the most authoritative scientific group studying climate change. It was set up to advise policymakers and the public on the latest climate science findings.
- Its reports influence the U.N. climate talks, as well as the policies of individual governments and large corporations.
Zoom in: The new U.S. Academic Alliance for the IPCC formed soon after the U.S. decided not to send State Department representatives to an IPCC plenary meeting in China last month.
- In addition, NASA blocked one of its IPCC participants from attending the meeting and eliminated funding for a technical support unit meant to help scientists working on the report.
- The alliance is seeking researchers who want to participate in the IPCC's seventh assessment report to self-nominate as authors and reviewers.
The alliance is hosted by the American Geophysical Union, the world's largest association of Earth and space scientists.
The intrigue: Founding members include Princeton University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Yale and University of California-San Diego.
- The group seeks to raise awareness of authorship opportunities for U.S. scientists.
- With the Trump administration's antipathy toward climate science, universities are stepping up to ensure the U.S. still has scientific representation at the IPCC.
What they're saying: "While the administration's next steps remain unclear, it is essential that American scientists continue contributing to the rigorous, peer-reviewed assessments that shape global climate policy," the AGU said in a statement to Axios.
- "Their participation contributes to the integrity of the IPCC process and keeps U.S. expertise at the forefront of climate science."
What we're watching: How successful this effort is at funneling U.S. climate expertise into the IPCC process despite any governmental disengagement.
