The sixth assessment cycle of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR6) concluded that human activities have unequivocally caused climate change, contributing to increasing climate extremes, sea-level rise and impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems, human health and economies. The findings reinforced the urgency of deep and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and effective adaptation action. APN-funded research made an important contribution to this evidence base, with more than 100 citations from APN projects included across the AR6 reports.

At its 60th Plenary Session in Istanbul in January 2024, the IPCC agreed the framework for its seventh assessment cycle (AR7). The cycle will include three Working Group contributions: the Physical Science Basis; Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability; and Mitigation of Climate Change, followed by a Synthesis Report. Ensuring that evidence, experience and perspectives from the Asia-Pacific region are appropriately reflected in this process requires continued participation by scientists from the region, including emerging researchers who can contribute to assessment, review and future authorship roles. Following earlier successful activities in Malaysia and Fiji, APN proposes to continue supporting Early Career Professionals (ECPs) to participate meaningfully in the IPCC AR7 cycle. The proposed activity will focus specifically on strengthening the capacity of ECPs to undertake rigorous, constructive reviews of the First Order Drafts of the Working Group II (WGII) and Working Group III (WGIII) contributions. The activity will be organised in collaboration with the Project Leader, Dr Elanni Md. Affandi, Assistant Secretary of the Geological Society of Malaysia (GSM) and academic staff of the Geology Department of Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. Prof. Joy Pereira, Chair of IPCC Working Group III for AR7, the Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Research Initiative (SEADPRI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and the Asian Network on Climate Science and Technology (ANCST), will be a project team member and support the activity.