The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has started work on the preparation of the reports for the Seventh Assessment cycle since earlier this year. The seventh assessment cycle will comprise of special reports, contributions from three Working Groups: Working Group I on the physical science basis of climate change; Working Group II on impacts, adaptation, and vulnerabilities; and Working Group III focusing on the mitigation of climate change and the Synthesis Report. The development of these reports will unfold over the next 3-4 years.
As a cross-cutting discipline ICA is in a position to significantly contribute to advances in the scientific knowledge base from which the IPCC report will draw upon in this upcoming report cycle via our ongoing and future research (published studies).
The IPCC in its scoping call for the seventh assessment report has expressly noted communication as one of the cross-cutting areas to contribute to the development of the report, especially in the context of understanding societal responses to the varied dimensions of risks and benefits of climate change and climate actions. Issues on sustainable development, ethics and equity dimension of climate change (including poverty eradication, gender, health and livelihoods) and paying attention to different knowledge bases – from indigenous, local to practice-based knowledge – touch upon the goals and research of many of our organizational divisions. In addition, themes in Working Group II (adaptation) and Working Group III (mitigation) focused on socio-cultural, psychological, political and legal drivers of behavioral, structural, and societal change have been a core component of multiple strands of communication research for decades. The role of technology, innovation and its diffusion in relation to sustainable development and mitigation is another core area of research of relevance to the IPCC report (IPCC).
Previously the Sixth Assessment Cycle reports identified areas of knowledge gap (in each chapter), which provide indications of areas of research of particular interest to climate scientists and policy makers going into AR 7 and meant to catalyze research communities. For instance from AR 6 reports, particularly on understanding climate mitigation strategies and challenges, there is much identified that our field can contribute to – addressing knowledge gaps on understanding human wellbeing in the context of informal economies, or low and middle-income countries; paying attention to how dimension of gender, solidarity and care frameworks relate to climate action; and conversely how climate action can improve the lives of marginalized populations; research on the climate implications of digital economies, including influence on consumption patterns, AI governance and implications of digital divides; and finally the dynamic interaction between individual, social and structural drivers of change including the role of social movements and climate justice and youth climate activism in influencing social norms and political change especially in the Global South. The debates on how to accelerate change in social and technological systems call for deeper evidence base ( IPCC AR6 Ch. 5).
All of these remain important areas for future research, which the seventh cycles report would look to address and where research of ICA members, flagship journals and current and future conferences can make substantive contributions and influence policy making as this process unfolds in the coming years. The start of a new report cycle thus presents an opportunity for our organization, community, and field to engage and influence the discourse on climate change both through the scientific outputs of this global community and a consideration of how we can support and leverage our association and partners and newly established regional hubs especially in the Global South on climate action research.
Note: Currently IPCC is also soliciting nominations of experts from member governments and observer organizations who will draft the outline of the Working Group contribution (see here).