This document summarizes a presentation on representation in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It finds that developed countries, particularly the US and UK, make up a large portion of IPCC participation. While rules aim to enhance representation of developing countries in leadership roles, their participation is still asymmetric, especially in invited roles. Regional representation is also asymmetrical, though less so than other international bodies. The analysis shows participation increasing over time with Working Group I on physical science trends having higher participation than Working Groups II and III.

1. 4sBarcelona-2September-2016
IPCCandtheDoubleLogicofInternationalExpertise
KaridePryck,TommasoVenturini,AudreyBaneyx
UniversitedeGeneve,King’sCollegeLondon,SciencesPoParis

2. AImandplanofthepresentation
1. Brief presentation of the IPCC and the stakes around the representation of
developing countries and regions
2. Presentation of the database of IPCC scientific participations (not members)
3. Preliminary results
a. Developed vs developing country representation
b. Regional representation

3. Afewthingstoknow
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
5 Assessment
Reports
AR1 (1990) AR2 (1995) AR3 (2001) AR4 (2007) AR5 (2014)
3 Working Groups
WG I WG II WG III
assesses the physical scientific assesses the vulnerability of assesses options for mitigating
aspects of the climate system socio-economic and natural climate change through limiting
and climate change systems to climate change or preventing GHG emissions and
consequences of climate change enhancing activities removing them
and options for adapting to it
3 types of role
IPCC Bureau Selected Authors Invited Authors
IPCC Chair and Vice-Chairs Lead Authors (LA) Contributing Authors (CA)
WG/TF Co-Chairs and Vice-chairs Contributing Lead Authors (CLA)
Review editors (RE)

4. Afewthingstoknow
Scientific representation in the IPCC
The Bureau
Scientists elected by the Panel. Mainly answers to criteria of
● North/South representation
● geographical representation following WMO regions
Selected roles
for chapters
“The composition of the group of Coordinating Lead Authors and Lead Authors for a chapter, a report or its
summary shall aim to reflect:
● the range of scientific, technical and socio-economic views and expertise;
● geographical representation (ensuring appropriate representation of experts from developing and
developed countries and countries with economies in transition); there should be at least one and
normally two or more from developing countries;
● a mixture of experts with and without previous experience in IPCC;
● gender balance.” (IPCC, 2013, p. 5-6)
Invited authors
for chapters
No requirements

5. Whyisrepresentationimportant?

6. Methodology

7. Generaltrends
● Increase in the number of participations
● WG1 > WG2 > WG3 (except AR2)
● For WG1, invited > selected
● For WG2 and WG3, selected > invited

8. 1.North/South-generalevolution

9. North/South-rolebalance

10. North/Southbalance-roles’evolution
CLA + RE + LA
● Except for AR1, rather stable participation ratio for developed/developing countries
CABureau

11. North/Southbalanceinworkinggroups
● WG1 is the least
balanced working
group
● Unbalance is higher
for invited roles

12. Top10IPCCcountries
Countries CLA + RE + LA
USA 817
UK 321
Australia 173
Germany 171
Canada 151
China 149
Japan 143
India 140
France 126
Netherlands 111
Countries CA
USA 1538
UK 591
Germany 344
Australia 259
Canada 245
N/A 217
France 159
Switzerland 134
Japan 122
Netherlands 121
Countries Bureau
Brazil 6
USA 6
Australia 5
Canada 5
China 5
Japan 5
Russian Federation 5
UK 5
Argentina, Cuba, France,
Germany, India,
Netherlands, Saudi Arabia
4

13. Mostactivecountries
All other countries
UK
USA
All other developing
South Africa
Brasil
India
China

14. 2.Regionalrepresentation

15. Negotiatingblocks-Groupingsevolution
1,6%

16. Furtherwork

17. Conclusion
● Persistence over time of asymmetry between developing and developed country
(higher in WGI than in WGII and WGIII);
● This asymmetry tends to decrease in the highest roles of the IPCC, (particularly the Bureau)
due to the rules set by the IPCC to enhance the participation of developing countries.
However, when such rules do not apply (CA), the asymmetry grows.
● The IPCC remains dominated by a few countries (Western countries; US and UK - 39%)
among developing countries, the IPCC is dominated by BASIC countries - 48%
● The regional balance is also asymmetrical in the IPCC
● However, it is less asymmetrical than other categorizations
(e.g UN regions and UNFCCC grouping)

18. ThankYou!
KaridePryck,TommasoVenturini,AudreyBaneyx