Mercator Ocean Scientists Angélique Melet, Head of the Ocean Climate team, and Karina von Schuckmann, Senior Advisor and Director of the Copernicus Ocean State Report, were selected to contribute as Lead Authors to the Upcoming Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Our scientists will work among 664 experts from 111 countries chosen from nearly 4,000 nominees.
Contributing to the IPCC Report to generate real impact
Angélique Melet, Head of the Ocean Climate team, will contribute to Working Group 1 Chapter 7: Projections of regional climate and extremes. Angélique brings exceptional expertise in past and future sea level rise, extreme events, and regional ocean climate projections. Before leading the Ocean Climate team, she oversaw the scientific evolution and R&D of the European Copernicus Marine Service, shaping its scientific strategy and programme.
She has contributed to the European Joint Programme Initiative Knowledge Hub on Sea Level Rise, and currently coordinates major European research initiatives, including the Horizon Europe SEACLIM project, and co-chairs the CLIVAR-CORDEX task force on regional ocean climate projections.
On this appointment, Angélique shared: “It is an honour to be a Lead Author for the next IPCC Working Group I report and to contribute to this collective effort. It also carries a significant responsibility, given the intensifying impacts of climate change and the crucial role of IPCC reports in guiding decision makers and shaping climate policies.”
Mercator Ocean’s Senior Advisor and Director of the Copernicus Ocean State Report, Karina von Schuckmann, brings her long-standing IPCC experience to a new challenge, continuing her exceptional ocean and climate leadership as Lead Author for Working Group I, chapter 2 on large-scale changes in the climate system and their causes.
Previously, Karina had contributed as lead author for both the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere (SROCC) and the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6, Working Group I).
“The chance to return to the IPCC means rejoining a global conversation grounded in evidence. Being part of a space where science, international collaboration, and global purpose come together is both a privilege and a responsibility I deeply value.“, said Karina.
The Working Group I assessment delivers the scientific foundation needed for the global community to address the challenge of climate change. Alongside its global analysis, it also examines climate variability and change at regional scales, providing essential insight into how impacts and risks to human and natural systems evolve over time.
This regional perspective directly informs the work of Working Group II and underpins the design of effective climate-change adaptation policies discussed by Working Group III. Working Group I also evaluates key policy-relevant issues such as the carbon emission levels compatible with climate and energy targets, the interactions between land and climate, and the links between climate and air quality.
The IPCC Assessment Reports as authoritative sources on climate science
The IPCC Assessment Reports are the main publications of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, released about every five to seven years.
These reports compile and evaluate the latest peer-reviewed research exploring both the origins and progression of climate change, what impacts are expected, how societies can adapt, and what options exist to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Written and reviewed by hundreds of scientists worldwide, each report brings together the consensus of global expertise and presents it in a form that governments and organisations can use to guide climate policies and international negotiations. Rather than producing new research, these reports synthesise existing science and are regarded as the most authoritative source on climate change.
The IPCC is currently in its seventh assessment cycle; work on the publication of Assessment Report 7 (AR7) began in July 2023, and the Synthesis Report bringing together the work of the three Working Groups is expected to be published by late 2029.
Mercator Ocean International extends its congratulations to the two scientists and looks forward to supporting them as they embark on this vital work.