August 9, 2021

IPCC AR6 – a Q&A with scientists from Working Group 1

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was expected to publish the Working Group 1 part of its Sixth Assessment Report on Monday 9 August.  The contribution of WG1 covers the physical science basis of climate change.

This briefing was a Q&A with eight of the climate scientists who contributed to the report.  There were no presentations – the purpose of this was to answer any questions journalists had after having seen the report.

Panellists included:

Prof Ed Hawkins, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading; and Lead Author, Chapter 1 – Framing, context, methods

Dr Amanda Maycock, Associate Professor in Climate Dynamics and Director of the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Leeds; and Lead Author, Chapter 4 – Future global climate: scenario-based projections and near-term information

Dr Joeri Rogelj, Director of Research and Lecturer in Climate Change and the Environment at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London; and Lead Author, Chapter 5 – Global carbon and other biogeochemical cycles and feedbacks

Prof Piers Forster, Professor of Climate Physics and Director of the Priestley International Centre for Climate at the University of Leeds; and Coordinating Lead Author, Chapter 7 – The Earth’s energy budget, climate feedbacks, and climate sensitivity

Prof Richard Allan, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading; and Lead Author, Chapter 8 – Water cycle changes

Dr Helene Hewitt, Ocean Modelling group leader at the Met Office Hadley Centre; and Coordinating Lead Author, Chapter 9 – Ocean, cryosphere, and sea level change

Dr Tamsin Edwards, Reader in Climate Change at King’s College London; and Lead Author, Chapter 9 – Ocean, cryosphere, and sea level change

Dr Friederike Otto, Associate Director of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford; and Lead Author, Chapter 11 – Weather and climate extreme events in a changing climate

An SMC Roundup of comments also accompanied this Briefing