IAP scientists appointed important positions in the newly established CCEC/IUGG

Date:2012-06-14    

In early June, 2012 International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) approved to establish the Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change (CCEC). IAP CAS scientists are appointed important positions in the executive committee of CCEC.

An adequate scientific understanding of climate change itself as well as its impacts on the environment and society requires a very broad interdisciplinary approach. As such, the advancement of the scientific understanding of climate and climate change, from the basic physics and chemistry to aspects affecting vulnerability, impacts, mitigation and adaptation measures, provides an ideal topic for a new Union Commission, with the remit of promoting the IUGG objectives through the coordination of research on climatic and environmental change, and especially the development of targeted efforts to serve society with the scientific knowledge being gained through research. CCEC will coordinate and integrate the climate related activities within the Union, and bring the Union’s research expertise to bear on some of the most challenging and important environmental and societal challenges of the 21st century. This is timely because ICSU and the International Group of Funding Agencies for Global Change Research (IGFA) proposed a new international program entitled “Future Earth: Research for Global Sustainability”. A new IUGG Union Commission on Climatic and Environmental Change would provide the mechanism to link with the new emerging effort of ICSU as it seeks greater collaboration on an increasing range of subject areas.

IUGG decided to establish CCEC in order
(i) to promote the advancement of the scientific understanding of climatic and environmental change,
(ii) to boost research in reducing uncertainties in climate and environmental models,
(iii) to define criteria for collaborative trans-disciplinary research on climate and environmental change,
(iv) to fulfill the objectives of IUGG and its associations,
(v) to provide an all-Union perspective on climatic and environmental change, and
(vi) to make available the knowledge and insights developed through scientific research to the benefit of society and planet Earth, including considerations of the science of global change, related vulnerability and impacts, and potential responses.

The IUGG Executive Committee appointed 14 experts to compose the Executive Committee of CCEC:
Chair: Tom Beer (Australia)
Vice Chiar: Jianping Li (China)
Secretary-Treasurer: Keith Alverson (USA)
10 members of the committee representing Union Associations
Michael MacCracken (USA, IAMAS)
Guoxiong Wu (China, IAMAS)
Ian Allison (Australia, IACS)
Michael Sideris (Canada, IAG)
Tonie van Dam (Luxembourg, IAG)
Eigil Friis-Christensen (Denmark, IAGA)
Dan Rosbjerg (Denmark, IAHS)
Makoto Taniguchi (Japan, IAHS)
Lawrence Mysak (Canada, IAPSO)
Setsuya Nakada (Japan, IAVCEI)
Stephen Self (USA/UK, IAVCEI)

and a co-opted member Serhat Sensoy (WMO Commission for Climatology).

IAP CAS scientists had been closely involved in preparation of CCEC. Then IAMAS President Academician/Prof. Guoxiong Wu and Secretary-General of Chinese National Committee for IUGG Prof. Jianping Li had participated in every stage, from the very beginning of writing and revising proposal, to the final argumentation and response to internal questions from IUGG. The inaugural meeting of CCEC will be held in China in April 2013. The website will also be launched soon.

Having first CCEC meeting in China and Chinese scientists appointed important positions in the executive committee will exert considerable influence on promoting global change research in China and making use of international resources, in response to ICSU “Future Earth”initiative, and therefore benefit society sustainable development.

One of CCEC preparation meetings. Photo taken during IUGG assembly in July 2011.

Right: Neil Holbrook, Guoxiong Wu, Tom Beer(Chair), Hans Volkert ; Left: Jianping Li (vice chair), Lawrence Mysak, Gordon Young, Setsuya Nakada, Ian Allison.

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