CGIAR’s Expanding Role in the IPCC Seventh Assessment Report

16 January 2026, Africa: For CGIAR, advancing climate science goes hand in hand with shaping global policy. In the IPCC’s Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) cycle, this has never been clearer: CGIAR scientists now constitute one of the largest institutional contributors of IPCC authors, reinforcing the CGIAR network’s central role in producing the science that frames climate action worldwide. 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change, is currently producing its Seventh Assessment Report (AR7), scheduled for completion by 2029, with major working group reports expected as early as 2028. This cycle comprises three core Working Group assessments covering the physical science basis (WG1), impacts, adaptation and vulnerability (WG2), and mitigation (WG3). 

AR7 author teams reflect an unprecedented level of geographic and gender diversity. A Carbon Brief analysis shows that 42 % of selected authors are affiliated with institutions in the Global South, a record high for IPCC assessment reports, and overall there is a parity of representation between Global North and Global South scientists in the three working groups combined. These advancements reflect a growing emphasis within the IPCC on inclusive science, diverse perspectives, and more equitable participation in global climate processes. 

Within this broader context, CGIAR’s scientific contribution to IPCC AR7 has grown markedly compared with previous cycles. In AR6, five CGIAR researchers served as IPCC authors. For AR7, thirteen scientists from CGIAR centers have been selected as Coordinating Lead Authors (CLAs) (2) or Lead Authors (LAs) (11): more than double the previous representation and the largest institutional contingent in the process. 

CGIAR coordinated 39 nominations for AR7, of which 13 were appointed by the IPCC Bureau, a selection rate of approximately 33 % in a highly competitive global pool of over 3,700 nominees. The CGIAR cohort spans all three Working Groups, including both physical science and policy-relevant dimensions of climate change, highlighting CGIAR’s interdisciplinary strength.  

The group collectively represents a broad geographic and institutional spread, with affiliations across at least six CGIAR centers, including IWMI, IFPRI, IITA, ILRI, CIMMYT, and the Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT, and a majority of authors based in or originating from the Global South. 

This expanded presence is a clear outcome of CGIAR’s strategic effort to mobilize scientific excellence in climate, agriculture, water, and food systems research, and to bring these perspectives into the global assessment arena where they matter most for policy. 

CGIAR expertise also spans across climate science domains, with authors selected for AR7 contributing to chapters addressing: 

• Regional climate change and extremes (WG1)
• Climate impacts, adaptation and vulnerability (WG2) including agriculture, water, and regional assessments
• Mitigation, with a focus on agriculture, forestry, and land use (AFOLU) (WG3) 

Among the CGIAR authors, roles such as Coordinating Lead Author on Technical Guidelines for Impacts and Adaptation and lead authorship in Agriculture and Water chapters underscore CGIAR’s depth of expertise in sectors that are central to sustainable development and climate resilience.  

Importantly, the AR7 authorship cohort from CGIAR also reflects greater gender diversity and global balance compared with prior cycles, with roughly half of the selected scientists being female and a strong majority from developing regions, aligning with broader IPCC trends.  

CGIAR’s expanded role in IPCC AR7 is a concrete outcome of strategic research engagement and collaborative scientific leadership. It demonstrates that CGIAR’s contributions are not only relevant to agricultural and food systems research, but also to the core climate science that informs global policy frameworks, including those that guide adaptation, mitigation, resilience planning, and climate finance 

As AR7 progresses toward publication, the contributions of CGIAR scientists will help shape one of the most influential bodies of knowledge on climate change produced this decade. Their work will inform policymakers, negotiators, financiers, and practitioners,  ensuring that evidence from food, land, water, and climate science is central to global responses to climate change. 

Through deep engagement in the IPCC process, CGIAR continues to demonstrate that scientific excellence, diversity, and relevance to real-world challenges are foundational to effective climate policy and development outcomes worldwide. 

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