Seven experts from Belgian universities and research institutes have been appointed as authors of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Seventh Assessment Report (AR7). They are among the 761 researchers worldwide who have been selected to contribute to what will be the IPCC’s most comprehensive review of climate science to date. VLIZ is contributing climate scientist Peter Landschützer as one of the authors of the main report.
Photo: Peter Landschützer is one of the seven Belgian experts appointed as authors of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) © Max Planck Instituut voor Meteorologie (MPI-M)
The other scientists that will contribute to the main report are climatologist Chris Smith (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), glaciologist Harry Zekollari (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), geologist David De Vleeschouwer (University of Münster), and climate policy specialist Joeri Rogelj (Imperial College London). Meteorologist Rafiq Hamdi (Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium) and migration researcher Caroline Zickgraf (University of Liège) have also been selected for the IPCC’s special report on Climate and Cities.
“This selection confirms the central role that Belgium plays in climate science, both academically and institutionally,” said Arnaud Vajda, chair of BELSPO, the Belgian IPCC focal point. "It strengthens our country’s influence in future climate negotiations and highlights the excellence of our research ecosystem."
The IPCC does not carry out its own research, but rather synthesises thousands of studies from around the world. Its assessments form the scientific backbone of climate policy and international negotiations, including the UN climate summits. Work on AR7 will begin at the first Lead Author meeting in December 2025, with the Working Group reports expected from mid-2028, culminating in a Synthesis Report by late 2029.
