Patricia Achieng’ Nying’uro, Kenya’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Focal Point, has been appointed as the Co-Chair of the IPCC Finance Task Team (FiTT) for the 7th Assessment Cycle. This team, responsible for determining the financial allocations of IPCC work and events over the next seven years, will be jointly led by Nying’uro and an expert from Australia.
The IPCC, a United Nations body focused on assessing the science of climate change, produces comprehensive Assessment Reports on the current state of scientific, technical, and socio-economic knowledge regarding climate change. These reports also explore future risks and suggest options for mitigating climate change. In addition, the IPCC issues Special Reports on topics agreed upon by member governments and Methodology Reports offering guidelines for greenhouse gas inventories.
During the IPCC session, Chair Jim Skea emphasized the importance of establishing the FiTT early in the meeting, with the team consisting of two Co-Chairs and four core team members from governments represented on the IPCC Bureau, following the Financial Procedures for the IPCC.
The FiTT, led by Co-Chairs from Kenya and Australia, along with core team members from the Bahamas, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and the US, met multiple times during the session. Their discussions included recommendations on contributions to the Data Center, science editors and translations, Secretariat staffing, and the extension of participation by developing countries in the IPCC. The FiTT also presented a revised 2023 budget, a proposed budget for 2024, and forecasts for 2025 and 2026. The Panel approved the IPCC Trust Fund Programme and Budget for the years 2023 to 2026, as presented in Decision IPCC-LX-10.
Patricia Nying’uro, a University of Nairobi graduate, will play a key role in guiding the financial decisions of the IPCC as Co-Chair of the FiTT.