As a review editor, Dr. Schweizer is helping to shape the next global scientific assessment that will guide world leaders
This article is taken from the Waterloo News story by the Waterloo Climate Institute and Faculty of Environment.
The world has converged on Belém, Brazil’s gateway to the Amazon, to sharpen climate commitments and move from promises to implementation. It’s all happening at the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
But setting priorities like this isn't clear-cut. Leaders are faced with political and financial tradeoffs to consider, but must also weigh the multiple, feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is where decision-makers turn to the most up-to-date scientific assessment on climate change available: the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report. It summarizes the state of knowledge on climate change, its widespread impacts and risks and details climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions.
With the latest report now two years old, the global scientific community is once again hard at work evaluating the current state of climate change and preparing to equip leaders with fresh evidence and tools.
Dr. Vanessa Schweizer is contributing her expertise to the upcoming IPCC report as part of Working Group III on Mitigation, focusing on the chapter Projected Futures in the Context of Sustainable Development and Climate Change. As a review editor, she’ll examine the connections between economic activities, sustainability, and climate impacts. “No single country has sustainable development totally figured out,” she explains. “For this chapter, I am looking at all the recent scientific studies on our economic activities, how sustainable they are, and how they relate to climate change.”
“This IPCC work connects directly to my research at Waterloo,” she says. “We’re all trying to decarbonize and stop greenhouse gas pollution as quickly as possible, but we also need to consider how to clean up the pollution that already exists. Technologies like direct air capture could play a role in shaping new sectors for what sustainable development looks like in the future, which is exactly the kind of real-world challenge I study.”
“To the extent that I love the natural world, I feel it’s important to take care of it. I care about having a peaceful, cooperative world and a healthy planet. The climate change problem is so big that countries will need to cooperate to achieve the best outcomes.”
To the extent that I love the natural world, I feel it’s important to take care of it. I care about having a peaceful, cooperative world and a healthy planet. The climate change problem is so big that countries will need to cooperate to achieve the best outcomes.
