Notices & Calls

Since 2002, China has released four National Assessment Reports on Climate Change, providing an important scientific basis for national science and technology planning on climate change response and strong support for active participation in global climate and science and technology governance. The Fourth National Assessment Report on Climate Change was jointly led by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the China Meteorological Administration, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and was organized together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and other departments. The report was headed by Xu Guanhua, former Minister of Science and Technology, and Liu Yanhua, former Vice Minister of Science and Technology, with academicians and senior experts including Du Xiangwan, Sun Honglie, Qin Dahe, and Zhang Xinshi serving on the expert committee for technical guidance. Nearly 100 institutions and more than 700 experts across China participated in its preparation. Officially released during the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, the report accurately and objectively reflected the latest progress in climate change research in China since 2015. Its findings were submitted to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, directly supporting the formulation of domestic and foreign policies on climate change and providing guidance for technology research and development in related fields.

Under the new international and domestic circumstances, climate change assessment will play an even more important role in advancing the output of scientific research on climate change in China, strengthening support for the implementation of the national carbon peaking and carbon neutrality strategy, and continuing to expand China contributions to global action on climate challenges. Entrusted by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Administrative Center for China Agenda 21 serves as the office for the preparation work and is responsible for launching and advancing the Fifth National Assessment Report on Climate Change, which will comprehensively and systematically assess the latest research progress in climate change in China since 2020. To select authors for the Assessment Report, applications are now being openly solicited.

I. Eligibility

(I) General Requirements

Applicants should support the leadership of the Communist Party of China, possess a high level of professional theory and policy understanding, good professional ethics, rigorous and solid academic integrity, and a responsible work attitude. They should uphold principles, act with integrity, and be able to perform their duties conscientiously, objectively, fairly, independently, and honestly. They should comply with the principles and procedural requirements for preparing the Assessment Report, including requirements related to confidentiality, communication, and conflicts of interest.

(II) Professional Requirements and Responsibilities

1. Lead authors: Assist coordinating authors in forming and improving the report preparation plan, overall framework, and main chapter content; organize the writing team and coordinate personnel from all parties. Strictly review the chapters for which they are responsible and organize revisions in a timely manner according to review comments to ensure the quality, scientific rigor, and objectivity of the report. Requirements: Long-term research experience in climate change, a senior professional title, deep expertise in the relevant field, and academic achievements with high international influence. Applicants should be familiar with domestic and international developments, be able to identify and grasp major strategic and technological trends, and have strong organizational and coordination skills.

2. Main authors: Responsible for drafting and revising specific chapters, and assisting lead authors in checking logical coherence between chapters, consistency of content, and accuracy of professional content. Requirements: A senior professional title, multiple high-level papers in the field of climate change, experience leading or participating in national, provincial, or ministerial climate change research projects, and strong research and writing capabilities.

3. Contributing authors: Actively support lead authors and main authors by providing writing materials for report chapters, including data collection, literature sorting and classification, field research, and case collection. During the revision and improvement stage, they should provide corresponding assistance as needed. Requirements: Research experience in a specific area of climate change, and certain research and writing capabilities. Current master and doctoral students must be recommended by their supervisors.

4. Young scientists: Assist lead authors and the preparation office in independently consolidating the manuscript, and be responsible for integrating chapter content, cross-checking, organizing references, managing figures and tables, sorting and providing feedback on revision comments, and organizing and coordinating related meetings. Requirements: A doctoral degree, strong enthusiasm for the work, ability to participate throughout the preparation process, and good scientific writing, summarization, and synthesis skills.

(III) Time Commitment

Authors should follow and participate throughout the preparation cycle from 2025 to 2027, ensuring sufficient time and energy for the writing work and completing all tasks assigned by the leading group and the preparation office. A dynamic adjustment mechanism will be adopted for authors. Participation in the preparation work and related matters will be recorded, performance evaluations will be conducted as appropriate, and the list of named authors will be confirmed before publication.

II. Author Benefits

Authors of the Assessment Report will be given priority invitations to climate change assessment seminars, high-level academic conferences such as side events of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and opportunities to publish academic papers in high-level journals in China and abroad. They will be credited according to their contributions in publications related to the Assessment Report, receive author certificates, and young scientists will be granted commendations and awards.

Please complete the author application form in full (see Annex 1), and send the application form and author resume (no more than four pages) to the contact email address by February 10, 2025. Files should be named Name-Author Application Form and Name-Author Resume.

III. Contacts

Contacts: Liu Jiayan, Zhang Xian

Email:

climatechange@acca21.org.cn

Annexes (download through Read Original at the end of the article):

1. Author Application Form

2. Preliminary Outline of Thematic Reports and Topic Selections for the Assessment Report