Nomination of Associate Professor Winston Chow to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Bureau as Co-Chair for Working Group II

Singapore, 10 April 2023 – Singapore has nominated Associate Professor Winston Chow to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Bureau as the developing country Co-Chair for IPCC Working Group (WG) II on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability for the upcoming Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) Cycle commencing in July 2023. Elections to the IPCC Bureau will be held in July this year.

2 The IPCC is the United Nations’ body for assessing the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for mitigation and adaptation. IPCC assessments provide a scientific basis for governments to develop climate-related policies and contribute to global climate action under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

3 The 34-member IPCC Bureau guides the IPCC on the scientific and technical aspects of its work, advises on management and strategic issues, and takes decisions on specific issues within its mandate. More information about the Bureau can be found at https://www.ipcc.ch/bureau/ ↗ (opens in new tab).

4 Winston Chow is Associate Professor of Urban Climate at the Singapore Management University’s College of Integrative Studies, as well as a Lee Kong Chian Research Fellow. His main research interests and publications focus on urban climate change risk and vulnerability, and on urban climatology with a focus on heat island adaptation and mitigation. Since 2017, he has been a Principal Investigator for the multi-institute Cooling Singapore Initiative, which develops climate-resilient solutions to address the urban heat challenge in Singapore.

5 Associate Professor Chow has been actively involved in the IPCC. Under the Sixth Assessment Report Cycle (AR6), he served as the IPCC Lead Author for the chapters on “Cities, Settlements and Key Infrastructure,” and “Cities and Settlements by the Sea” in WG II, and contributed significantly on the urban aspects of climate change in the other WGs. He is also a member of the Task Group on Data Support for Climate Change Assessments (TG-Data), which provides guidance to ensure that the climate change data and scenarios used in the IPCC’s work are available, transparent, consistent and of high quality. Given his extensive experience in this field, Associate Professor Chow is well-qualified to contribute to advancing the science of climate change, and shape practical recommendations on how governments and societies can effectively adapt to climate risks and enhance climate resilience. This is particularly given that the IPCC has decided to include a Special Report on Cities and Climate Change in the AR7 cycle, which is an area in which he has done much research and field work.

6 Associate Professor Chow said: “I am honoured to be nominated by the Singapore Government for the important role of Co-Chair of IPCC’s WG II on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. In this Assessment Cycle (AR6), my IPCC colleagues and I have worked tirelessly to ensure that the assessment reports accurately reflect the escalating risks to lives and livelihoods if we exceed the 1.5 °C threshold. However, the climate challenges for the next assessment cycle are manifold and complex, and we need to take urgent actions to combat climate change, enhance climate adaptation, and minimise the impacts and risks to our societies. If elected, I will do my utmost to build on the work of past IPCC reports and contribute to strengthening climate action over the next climate assessment cycle.”

7 This is Singapore’s first nomination to the IPCC Bureau. Having Associate Professor Chow play a leadership role in the IPCC Bureau is part of Singapore’s efforts to contribute to global cooperation to advance international climate science. Singapore has been contributing actively to the work of the IPCC. In addition to participating at the IPCC plenary sessions, Singapore hosted the IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report Scoping Meeting and the 57th Session of the IPCC Bureau Meeting in October 2019. Singapore also hosted senior IPCC officials and authors in 2014 to present and discuss key findings and implications for Southeast Asia.

8 Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Ms Grace Fu, said: “The IPCC Bureau plays an important global role by advising the IPCC on the scientific and technical aspects of its work. Associate Professor Chow is an exceptional candidate with a strong track record. If elected, I am confident that he will serve the IPCC well, and contribute to increasing global understanding of the impacts of climate change, the importance of adaptation and implications of vulnerability, particularly for developing countries.”