IPCP Working Groups

IPCP initiated a number of working groups that are open for members to participate. The overall idea for these groups is to translate a joint interest or concern into something more actionable, which can take different forms such as publications, reports, open letters, webinars, etc. The IPCP does not have funding available to financially support these activities, which are member driven with some support from the board members. For projects to obtain formal IPCP support requires submitting a proposal (via this form) that includes details about the initiative, funding sources, etc. 

The following working groups are currently running and open for additional IPCP members to participate:

Environmental Sciences to be recognized as basic science by the International Science Council (ISC): Environmental Sciences and/or Ecotoxicology are not recognized as basic science “categories”, which has implications on the attention they should receive as well as funding e.g., by national science funds who rarely have related core expertise. 

Chemical pollution and biodiversity follow-up on previous and ongoing IPCP initiatives. This group could also dive into changing effects of chemicals due to warming (multi stressor response), as well as one health concepts, looking at multistressor response from ecosystems to humans. 

Pollution from and during mining activities as a case study for prospective pollution estimation due to changed needs of mineral resources for the energy transition, legacy pollution from old and/or abandoned mines in the context of extreme weather events, pollution burden shifting to low-income countries e.g., due to improper recycling/waste management practices and related aspects of environmental justice, changes in chemical risk and hazard due to increasing extreme weather events (flooding, storms). 

Monitoring chemical pollution in low-resource settings focused on the review of existing low cost tools for monitoring, the establishment of a network of potential collaborators across regions, as well as the compatibility of data collection methods with global monitoring initiatives.