BACKGROUND

At its 43rd Session (Nairobi, Kenya, 11 – 13 April 2016), the IPCC Panel decided to prepare a special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems.

Experts met on 13 – 17 February 2017 in Dublin, Ireland to prepare a draft outlinefor the report.

At its 45th Session (Guadalajara, Mexico, 28 – 31 March 2017), the Panel approved the outline for Climate Change and Land: an IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems.

The Special Report is being developed under the joint scientific leadership of Working Groups I, II, III and the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, and supported by the WG III TSU.

103 experts from 52 countries were selected as Coordinating Lead Authors and Lead Authors – who are working on  each individual chapter – and Review Editors, who will ensure that comments by experts and governments are given appropriate consideration as the report develops. The Special Report is scheduled to be finalized in August 2019.

The full list of Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors and Review Editors is here.

A presentation of the Special Report, co-organized with UN Foundation within the framework of the Geneva Environment Network, is scheduled to take place at the World Meteorological Organization, Thursday 8 August, after the adoption of the report by the IPCC member states and its press lunch, this same week, in Geneva. This event, held six week prior to the UN Secretary General Climate Summit, will also discuss the scaling-up of nature-based solutions to increase climate action and the oppotunities provided by the Summit.