Three Exeter experts appointed for new IPCC report

Three University of Exeter scientists have been appointed as authors for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Seventh Assessment Report.

The IPCC is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.

Professor Angela Gallego-Sala, Professor Tim Lenton and Professor Richard Betts are in IPCC Working Group I, which examines the physical science underpinning past, present, and future climate change.

The IPCC’s three Working Group reports are expected to start appearing in mid-2028, while the Synthesis Report will be approved by late 2029.

Professor Gallego-Sala said: “I feel a mixture of honour, excitement and responsibility, probably in equal measure. Only a few scientists of the many thousands that work on the topic are selected each year.

“This is my first time, and it will be a real privilege to get to work with scientists that have very different career trajectories, cultures, backgrounds and world views to mine.

“With the world situation as it is today, I feel the IPCC scientific community has a responsibility not only to highlight the latest evidence to address the climate crisis, but to show how big issues are best addressed by working together as human beings for the benefit of our only planet.”

Professor Betts, who is also Head of Climate Impacts Research at the Met Office Hadley Centre, said: “I’m excited and honoured to be serving as an IPCC Lead Author for the fourth time.

“It’s always an incredible opportunity to look deeply into the latest scientific literature and assess what it means for international climate policy, to help ensure decisions are well-informed.

“Working with a large and diverse author team from across the world is a huge privilege and I look forward once again to learning from colleagues and making new friendships.”

Professor Lenton, founder director of the Global Systems Institute, said: “I’m delighted to be helping the IPCC give an authoritative assessment of climate tipping points in the Seventh Assessment Report.”

Professor Lisa Roberts, Exeter’s President and Vice-Chancellor, said: “We are incredibly proud that Angela, Richard and Tim have been appointed to the IPCC for the Seventh Assessment Report.

“Their work – and that of 1,500 Exeter researchers working on all aspects of the climate emergency and ecological crisis – is making a real difference in this vital decade for climate action.

“These appointments are proof of Exeter’s world-leading research and our mission to forge a greener future across the globe.”