The IPCC ambitions
Projected at the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities
Bart van den Hurk (Deltares)
WGII Co-Chair, IPCC AR7
Ambitions in AR7
Action-oriented
Speak to stakeholders to find policy relevant information that informs action
• Note: Policy relevance should not become policy prescriptive
Integration
Showcase jointly multiple aspects of urban climate: hazards, structure, impacts, adaptation, mitigation
• Note: this requires strong integration across Working Group domains
Inclusivity
Reflect the rich diversity of cities and settlements, and target multiple stakeholder audiences
• Note: Multiple views and perspectives should be considered
The report's outline in a nutshell
CHAPTER 1
Cities in the context of climate change: framing of the report
Action oriented
Many cities are still to be build
Integration
Inclusive
Stress the diversity in cities (and drivers of current status)
Framing cities as “nodes in a multi-functional network”
The report's outline in a nutshell
CHAPTER 1
Cities in the context of climate change: framing of the report
Action oriented
CHAPTER 2
Cities in a changing climate: trends, challenges and opportunities
Current trends are the result of past decisions
Integration
Elaborate on climate, emissions, development
Inclusive
Local information on current state should be inserted by local experts
The report's outline in a nutshell
CHAPTER 1
Cities in the context of climate change: framing of the report
Action oriented
Systematic inventory of solutions
CHAPTER 3
Actions and solutions to reduce urban risks and emissions
CHAPTER 2
Cities in a changing climate: trends, challenges and opportunities
Integration
Elaborate on climate risks, emissions, development
Inclusive
Check who benefits, who pays
The report's outline in a nutshell
CHAPTER 1
Cities in the context of climate change: framing of the report
CHAPTER 2
Cities in a changing climate: trends, challenges and opportunities
Actions and solutions to reduce urban risks
Integration
Need to worry about physical, legal, financial & behavioral constraints and options
Action oriented Solutions don’t work if boundary conditions aren’t in place
CHAPTER 4
How to facilitate and accelerate change
Inclusive
Local conditions for what works and what not are very context specific
The report's outline in a nutshell
CHAPTER 1
Cities in the context of climate change: framing of the report
CHAPTER 3
Actions and solutions to reduce urban risks and emissions
Integration
CHAPTER 2
Cities in a changing climate: trends, challenges and opportunities
What works in practice and what doesn’t depends on many local characteristics
How to facilitate and accelerate change
Action oriented
This is the chapter #1 for practitioners
Inclusive
Stories told by practitioners often documented in grey literature
CHAPTER 5
Solutions by city types and regions
We need everyone
Scientists can write papers and compile journal special issues – including topics emphasized in the outline
Deadlines:
Authors can help with writing
Professionals can help with reviews –various versions will circulate
Submitted: Apr 2026
Accepted: Oct 2026
Stakeholder networks can help with outreach (e.g. factsheets)
