Robbert Biesbroek delivers Inaugural Lecture and is appointed Lead Author of IPCC report

Robbert: “In the coming three years I will contribute to the Seventh Assessment Report as Coordinating Lead Author for Working Group II on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Our chapter has a global focus and aims to answer key questions about adaptation progress: how can we measure whether progress is being made in reducing the risks of climate change? What are the challenges, synergies and trade-offs that have been encountered? Are the actions that were taken, particularly after the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, adequate and effective? These are critically important questions to answer if we want to take stock of progress and start to think about how to accelerate action towards more resilient societies and ecosystems.

In his inaugural lecture, Robbert reflected on the so-called adaptation gap – the gap between what is needed in terms of climate adaptation to reduce risks and what is actually happening on the ground.  

“The adaptation gap is widening in many places around the world and for some societal groups and sectors more quickly than others. We have plenty of data, but measuring the gap precisely remains a challenge. I my inaugural lecture I address why this gap persists and what my team an I will do to contribute to closing it.

IPCC reports remains the ‘gold standard’ for climate knowledge and therefore will play an important role in better understanding the key drivers of the adaptation gap. It should also provide the best available evidence of what works, where and why in order to close the adaptation gap. I was also involved in the previous assessment cycle as Coordinating Lead Author, and I hope this cycle will be even more practice-oriented, and that we will find ways to use knowledge more quickly and effectively.”

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