In February 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a historic report based on the contributions from Working Group II which assesses the impacts of climate change and options for adapting to it. The report includes Chapter 6: Cities, Settlements and Key Infrastructure, which considers the vulnerabilities and capacity of natural and human systems to adapt to climate change as well as options for creating a sustainable future through an equitable and integrated approach to mitigation and adaptation. As cities like New York and others across the US face climate-related challenges from urban flooding to extreme heat, what can we learn from the latest IPCC findings?  This panel discussion brings together researchers, scientists and practitioners involved in the IPCC and NYC Panel on Climate Change (NPCC) to discuss regional and local implications based on the report’s findings, as well as adaptation options and best practices to ensure equitable resiliency planning and governance. 

Dr. Ana Baptista will discuss potential implications of the IPCC’s findings for NYC, her role on the NPCC and involvement in the Justice40 initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40 percent of the overall benefits from Federal investments in climate and clean energy to disadvantaged communities. Dr. Sheila Foster will discuss her role as the co-lead of the NPCC’s Equity Working Group and share best practices for climate resilience and community-based development that address the twin goals climate justice and climate displacement. Dr. Timon McPhearson will share insights as IPCC Lead Author of Working Group II and discuss the potential implications of the IPCC report’s findings for urban areas across the US and for NYC. Professor Joel Towers will discuss his role as Co-chair of the NPCC and development of the NPCC’s fourth assessment, which will be used to create NYC’s Climate Adaptation Roadmap. The session will be moderated by Mike Harrington, Assistant Director at the Tishman Environment and Design Center.

Presented by Urban Systems Lab and Tishman Environment and Design Center, The New School