UCD expert one of only two in Ireland selected to work on new IPCC climate project

13 February 2025

A researcher from UCD is one of only two experts from Ireland chosen to help author a report on Cities and Climate Change by the (opens in a new window)Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), one of the world's most eminent scientific bodies.

The IPCC was created to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options.

Founded in 1988 to support the work of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), James Dooge, former Professor of Engineering at UCD, was instrumental in its creation.

The body’s Assessment Reports are used to develop international agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, and in preparation for its 7^th Assessment Report, the IPCC has designated cities as research priority for the next two years, with a major report due in March 2027, and has selected 97 experts worldwide to be involved with the project.

Among those tasked with the study is (opens in a new window)Professor Gerald Mills, a geographer at University College Dublin, who alongside Professor Peter Thorne, director of the ICARUS Climate Change Research Centre at Maynooth University, will assess many thousands of studies on urban climate science from around the world.

Their work will be to collate findings, draw conclusions and disseminate what has been learned to the wider scientific community, policymakers, and the public.

Those chosen to be involved in the project were selected from 1,201 nominations submitted by IPCC’s national focal points and observer organisations; Professor Mills was nominated by Ireland and by the World Meteorological Organisation.

The (opens in a new window)#IPCC has selected authors to prepare to the Special Report on Climate Change & Cities, scheduled for release in March 2027.

The IPCC selected 97 experts from 56 countries to participate as Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors & Review Editors.

🔗(opens in a new window)https://t.co/nIUNG8gVg1 (opens in a new window)pic.twitter.com/8cKaS9Pwrf

— IPCC (@IPCC_CH) (opens in a new window)February 3, 2025

“Cities are major drivers of anthropogenic climate change as they are focused areas of resource consumption and waste generation,” said Professor Mills.

“Although urbanised areas occupy less than 3% of the Earth’s ice-free land, they collectively emit more than 70% of human generated Carbon Dioxide, the main greenhouse gas.

“Moreover, they are especially at risk from the consequences of climate change due to their common topographic settings (low-lying and coastal) and the concentration of infrastructure and population.”

Currently, about 56% (over 4 billion) of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and this percent is expected to increase to 70% by 2050.

It is important to recognise that this urban population growth will largely take place in poorer countries located in tropical climates, added Professor Mills.

“Cities also modify the local climate and enhance many of the hazards associated with global climate change. One of the best-known examples is the urban heat island, which raises the temperature in cities and will contribute to risk of heat stress in a warmer world.”

The IPCC Special Report on Cities will, for the first time, assess the role of cities in climate change at all scales (from global to urban) to understand how best to develop city-scale mitigation and adaptation efforts.  

These efforts will have to recognise the very different characteristics of cities around the world and the types of hazards that they will face.

“It plans to draw evidence from a very wide range of city types and densities that will allow for effective knowledge transfer to create lower-carbon cities and better protection for those living in cities. This will mean different policies for different types of cities,” Professor Mills said.

“As an example, Dublin has become more efficient in its use of space as it expands vertically rather than horizontally; this change in population density has impacts on the provisions of services such as public transport.

“However, we must distinguish between high-density and high-rise if we are going to create low-carbon cities that people want to live in.

“Dublin is located at a latitude of 53°N, so that tall buildings generate long shadows; if you applied Hong-Kong type vertical development to Dublin, most of us would be condemned to a year without any sunshine.”

By:  David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations

To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie