Call for experts for IPCC
New Zealand experts are invited to participate in the IPCC Seventh Assessment Cycle process.
The IPCC periodically seeks nominations for authors for its reports. Existing IPCC experience is not a requirement.
There will be ongoing opportunities for experts to apply to be contributing authors or chapter scientists (scientific assistants) throughout the Seventh Assessment Cycle. Lead authors for each report will field calls for these roles when required.
Working group reports
The IPCC is currently calling for experts to participate in the working group reports for the Seventh Assessment Cycle.
- Working Group I – The Physical Science Basis
- Working Group II – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
- Working Group III – Mitigation of Climate Change
See IPCC calls for the nomination of authors for the Seventh Assessment Report — IPCC.
Applying for the working group reports
To apply please send your CV (max. 4 pages, pdf format) and completed nomination form to nz.ipccfocalpoint@mfe.govt.nz by Thursday 10 April.
See IPCC nomination for working group authors - IPCC
Please note that due to the schedule set by the IPCC it will not be possible for us to accept late responses.
Task group on data support for climate change assessments
The IPCC is also calling for experts to serve in the IPCC task group on data support for climate change assessments (known asTG-Data). Nominations are open for TG-Data Co-Chairs, as well as members of the task group.
The TG-Data work mainly requires data specialists. The IPCC is looking for people with expertise in areas such as data provenance, scientific workflows, climate data handling systems, FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) Data principles, and development and/or analysis of climate and observational datasets.
See selection of TG-Data members (PDF 244KB).
Applying to the task group
To apply, please send your CV (max. 4 pages, pdf format) and completed nomination form to nz.ipccfocalpoint@mfe.govt.nz by Thursday 10 April.
See the nomination form for the task group (XML 69KB).
Upcoming calls
Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies and Carbon Dioxide Capture Utilisation and Storage: November 2025.
Synthesis Report: TBC.
Previous calls
Special Report on Climate Change and Cities: Friday 13 September.
Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers: Friday 13 September.
You can apply if you are an expert and would like to be considered for nomination as a Coordinating Lead Author, Lead Author or Review Editor for IPCC reports.
New Zealand will nominate experts to the IPCC Bureau, who will then assess nominees and select the final author team for each report.
Applying as an expert
Contact nz.ipccfocalpoint@mfe.govt.nz if you would like to be considered for nomination for a report when a call for authors is put out. Due to the schedule of the IPCC it will not be possible for us to accept any late responses.
New Zealand applications
New Zealand will consider applications and nominate experts to the IPCC Bureau, who will then assess nominees and select the final author team for each report.
The final author teams of each chapter, as selected by the IPCC Bureau, will aim to reflect:
- the range of scientific, technical and socio-economic views and expertise, including but not limited to experts from academia, practitioners, policymakers, and indigenous knowledge holders
- geographic representation, with a range of experts from developed and developing countries, and countries with economies in transition
- a mixture of experts with and without previous IPCC experience
- an even gender balance.
New Zealand is committed to diversity and inclusion in the IPCC process. It is important diverse experts with varying knowledge are involved in the production of reports. New Zealand, alongside our like-minded countries, is advocating for the greater inclusion of Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge in reports.
The main activity of the IPCC is the preparation of reports assessing the state of knowledge of climate change. These include:
- assessment reports
- special reports
- methodology reports.
To deliver this work programme, the IPCC holds meetings of its government representatives, convening as plenary sessions of the Panel or IPCC Working Groups to approve, adopt and accept reports.
Plenary sessions of the IPCC determine the IPCC work programme, and other business including its budget and outlines of reports.
The IPCC Bureau meets regularly to provide guidance to the Panel on scientific and technical aspects of its work. The IPCC organises:
- scoping meetings of experts
- meetings of lead authors to prepare reports
- expert meetings and workshops on various topics to support its work programme
- publication of the proceedings of these meetings.
Role of authors
A team of authors is put together for each chapter. Governments and observer organisations nominate candidates from which the IPCC Bureau selects participants.
Depending on the scope, between 100 and 250 experts oversee a report, and many more are consulted on specific individual questions. Authors are expected to attend up to four Lead Author Meetings and in some instances, approval sessions. The IPCC requires these meetings to be held in person.
Full Assessment Reports are written periodically, roughly every six to seven years. At the beginning of each cycle cut-off dates are set for when literature has to be accepted for publication to be included in IPCC reports. This ensures assessments are as up to date as possible while still allowing author teams sufficient time to fully evaluate literature.
