Professor Davies, a leading glaciation and polar science expert, will contribute to "Chapter 2: large scale changes in the climate system and their causes".

The IPCC is a scientific body of the United Nations that draws on the expertise of thousands of scientists from around the world to assess the science of climate change. 

The IPCC Assessment report is considered the world's most authoritative source of information on climate change. It gives policymakers around the world a scientific assessment of climate change and its impacts, and provides governments with options for adaptation and mitigation. 

The report is produced every 5-7 years and is the scientific foundation for international climate policy negotiations at the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) climate policy negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Professor Davies was nominated by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and was selected from a global pool of 3,771 nominees.

Professor Davies said: “It is a huge honour to be selected for this prestigious and highly influential report, I’m feeling excited and daunted in equal measure. I’m really looking forward to meeting and working with colleagues from around the world and to learn from their expertise.”

The assessment report will be made up of three Working Group reports, and Professor Davies will be part of Working Group 1 (WG1) which will examine the physical science underpinning past, present, and future climate change. As lead author with responsibility for chapter 2, she will be working with a team of more than 193 climate scientists in WG1 to draft and review evidence of large-scale changes observed in the Earth’s climate system.

Professor Kyle Grayson, Head of the School of Geography, Politics, and Sociology, Newcastle University, said: “I am delighted to see Bethan take up this important role with the IPCC. Her appointment reflects both her exceptional expertise and dedication to addressing the urgent global challenges of climate change. Bethan’s leadership will make a vitally important contribution to positively shaping international climate policy and its scientific foundations.”

Much work has taken place in recent years to diversify author teams to overcome criticism of previously heavy reliance on expertise from the Global North, and the WG1 team will comprise experts from every continent including 22 from Africa and 19 from South America. 

Nearly half of the authors for the seventh Assessment Report (AR7) are female scientists, constituting 46 per cent of the group – up from 33 per cent of authors of the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). Of the 664 experts appointed to all the Working Groups, more than half (51 per cent) come from developing countries and countries with economies in transition. 

The three Working Group reports are expected to begin being published from mid-2028 and will inform the discussions for that year’s COP meeting, while the Synthesis Report that will conclude the entire cycle will be approved by late 2029.

The full list of selected Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors and Review Editors by Working Group contribution to AR7 and chapter can be accessed on the IPCC website here.