The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) hosted nearly 200 climate experts from 79 countries from 28 September to 2 October 2026 to advance the preparation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) next global assessment of climate change mitigation.
The Second Lead Author Meeting of IPCC Working Group III brought together authors and chapter scientists to refine initial chapter drafts and strengthen connections across the report. Their work will contribute to the IPCC Seventh Assessment Report (AR7), providing governments with an assessment of scientific evidence on options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Held at the AIT Conference Center, the meeting was organized locally by AIT’s South and Southeast Asia Multidisciplinary Applied Research Network for Transforming Societies of the Global South (SMARTS Center), in collaboration with the Faculty of Public Policy and Sustainable Development (FPSD).
The IPCC is the United Nations body responsible for assessing the science related to climate change. Its reports assess scientific, technical and socioeconomic knowledge to inform governments and international climate negotiations. They are policy-relevant but do not prescribe particular policies. Working Group III contributes the assessment of climate change mitigation.
The meeting opened with welcoming remarks from Working Group III Co-Chairs Prof. Joy Jacqueline Pereira and Dr. Katherine Calvin, followed by a recorded video message from IPCC Chair Sir Jim Skea.
Welcoming the participants, AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li highlighted the Institute’s longstanding contribution to regional capacity building and sustainable development through education, research and the practical application of knowledge. He emphasized the alignment between the IPCC’s scientific assessment role and AIT’s work in public policy and sustainability, expressing hope that the meeting would help strengthen the evidence available to governments responding to climate change.
The visit also created an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to engage directly with IPCC leadership. On 30 September, the two Working Group III Co-Chairs joined an interactive session at AIT’s Milton Bender Auditorium, moderated by Dr. Thi Phuoc Lai Nguyen, Dean of FPSD.
Students explored how scientific evidence is assessed and incorporated into global climate reports, asking questions about mitigation, policymaking and opportunities for emerging researchers to contribute to future assessments.
Following the meeting, authors will continue preparing the First-Order Draft of the Working Group III report for expert review. The report will form part of AR7, whose Synthesis Report is expected to be released by late 2029.
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