Newsletter | January 2026

Top News

Pan-RIfS Workshop 2026: Climate Research Frontiers for Regional Decision Contexts

RIfS will host its first community-wide workshop from June 9–12, 2026, in Nanjing, China, with online participation available.

Building on 2025 milestones—including the creation of six formal bodies focused on robust climate information, responsible data use, and regional action in Africa, as well as the consolidation of the GEP and the 15th anniversary of CORDEX—this event marks the first major gathering of all these groups since RIfS was established.

It will unite a growing global network of volunteers and partners to address emerging cross-cutting issues, advance key scientific questions, and initiate planning for the next phase of RIfS. Under the theme “Climate Research Frontiers for Regional Decision Contexts,” the hybrid workshop will feature plenary panels, strategic sessions, and group discussions.

Attendance by invitation only.

Learn more

Call for Applications: Director of the CORDEX-IPO

The World Climate Research Programme invites applications for the position of Director of the International Project Office (IPO) for the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX), to be hosted jointly by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the University of Cape Town (UCT).

The Director will lead the IPO ensuring that it operates efficiently to actively serve the needs of CORDEX and its global community, in alignment with and under the guidance of the CORDEX Science Advisory Team (SAT). Among other duties, the Director will be responsible for facilitating and coordinating collaboration with RIfS, the Core Project to which CORDEX is linked.

Deadline: February 13

Position details and applications

Responsible Model Evaluation Guidance

The Joint RIfS–CMIP Responsible Data Use Task Team is developing guidance for the responsible use of the CMIP7 Assessment Fast Track Rapid Evaluation Framework (AFT REF). The REF is a standardized system driven by the CMIP Model Benchmarking Task Team that provides rapid performance assessments of CMIP7 models.

To shape the guidance, the Task Team has launched a first consultation process among IPCC authors to understand user needs, preferred formats, and common challenges in interpreting model evaluation results. An online feedback form plus drop-in sessions on 3–4 February 2026 will gather input. These insights will inform the final guidance package, to be presented at the CMIP Community Workshop 2026.

Registration form

Free Webinar: 10 insights in climate science webinar for French speakers

The 10 New Insights in Climate Science series is a collaborative initiative between Future Earth, The Earth League and the World Climate Research Programme. Since 2017, this annual report highlights 10 key recent findings to help leaders, policymakers, journalists and others stay informed. It translates complex research into accessible, concise insights to inform high-stakes decisions. Always published in English, the 2025 report was translated into Japanese, and now French.

RIfS has collaborated in organizing a French language webinar to celebrate the launch of the French translation of the 10 New Insights in Climate Science 2025, jointly with the Réseau francophone international en conseil scientifique (RFICS) and the Future Earth Canada et Durabilité à l’Ère Numérique, with support from academic and institutional partners. Under the title Mobiliser la science pour accélérer l’action climatique, the webinar aims to make climate science more accessible and more actionable for decision makers, organizations, and the broader francophone public, while considering regional and sectoral contexts.

We are pleased to announce Moussa Diakhate, one of the RIfS Africa Task Team co-chairs, as one of the webinar speakers. His expertise and commitment to climate information for the African continent will bring an essential perspective to the discussion.

Save the date: January 29, 9:30-11:30 am (EST, Montreal)

Free registration - Activity in French

Upcoming

RIfS present at the CMIP workshop 2026

A group of RIfS volunteers is among the conveners of a scientific session as part of the CMIP Community Workshop 2026. The session - entitled Advancing Climate Projections and Applications: From Global Processes and Impacts to Responsible Local Decisions- will take place on Wednesday, March11.

Due to the popularity of the workshop and capacity limits of the venue, in-person registration has closed. Virtual registration is open to anyone and will remain open until 31 January 2026.

Workshop registration for virtual attendance

Call for contributions: npj Natural Hazards Launches RIfS-Endorsed Multi-Hazard Collection

The Collection, titled “Weather and Climate-Induced Multi-Hazard Futures: Forecast, Communication, and Preparedness for Society,” is officially launched in npj Natural Hazards. It is endorsed by the WCRP Regional Information for Society (RIfS) Core Project and constitutes a joint effort by npj Natural Hazards together with the WMO WWRP Societal and Economic Research Applications (SERA) Working Group, the WWRP PEOPLE Project, the UNESCO- and WMO WWRP-endorsed SEPRESS Programme led by HKUST, and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

The Collection highlights how weather- and climate-driven extremes increasingly interact to create compounding risks, underscoring the need for people-centered approaches to early warning and preparedness. It focuses on how information is produced, communicated, and used in real decision contexts, emphasizing governance, equity, and inclusive access to services.

Deadline for submissions: September 30

Collection details and submission steps

Updates

New Working Group on Annual assessment of Weather and Climate Extremes (AWCE)

The growing need for timely, global assessments of weather and climate extremes has led WCRP to establish a new Working Group on Annual Assessment of Weather and Climate Extremes (AWCE) under the Global Extreme Platform (GEP). This group brings together international experts to produce an annual report each May.

The report provides a retrospective analysis of extreme events from the previous year and offers an up‑to‑date evaluation of their causes. The AWCE collaborates closely with the WMO State of the Climate and partners across the climate community.

Learn more

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