November University of Galway expert on UN climate change advisory role

Tuesday November 12, 2024: An international development expert from University of Galway is to support the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment of climate change and its impact.

Dr Una Murray, Director of the MA in International Development Practice in the University’s Discipline of Geography and a Principal Investigator with the University’s Ryan Institute, will provide advice on the topics of climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability.

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was founded in 1988 and provides the evidence to the governments of the world through comprehensive Assessment Reports about knowledge on climate change, its causes, potential impacts on people and the planet and response options.

International experts are invited to its Working Groups to synthesise all available evidence on climate change and identify how best to reduce emissions, how to make societies more resilient and how to ensure a just transition for those most affected by climate change.

Minister for Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport, Eamon Ryan, T.D., welcomed Dr Murray’s appointment: “Governments rely heavily on the gold standard evidence on climate change that is provided by the IPCC. This is critical to ensure our policies are evidence-based and to reduce risk of any maladaptive policies in response to climate change. Ireland has well recognised experts who can contribute to this evidence. We are also beginning to shake off our label as a climate laggard and are developing a reputation instead as a country that is showing that climate action can and is working. This is driven by the progress we are making nationally in reducing our own emissions, but also because of the calibre of the academics, scientists, researchers and policy experts we have working in the field.”

Professor Peter McHugh, Interim President of University of Galway, said: “Dr Murray’s engagement with one of the leading climate change bodies at the UN is testament to both her insight and expertise on international development issues as well as our university's strategic commitment to sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The invitation for Dr Murray to advise on the issues of climate and its impact on people and society is a testament to the value we place on research-led excellence for the public good.”

Dr Murray said: “This is a great honour for me but also for University of Galway. One of my key aims is to provide IPCC contributions in relation to climate change and human migration. At the University of Galway, my research team is working on climate change, migration and social protection which I have presented at the UN Climate Summits over recent years. My team’s research advocates for climate adaptive social protection as a key policy response to help tackle climate vulnerability and reduce inequalities.”

Dr Murray’s expert advisory role is with the IPCC’s Working Group II, which will be scoping the next IPCC Seventh Assessment Report (AR7), focusing on climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability.

The IPCC AR7 Scoping Meeting is being organised from December 9-13, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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