The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has chosen Patrick Gonzalez, a climate change scientist and forest ecologist from the University of California, Berkeley, as a lead author for its upcoming global scientific assessment. The IPCC’s assessments are recognized as authoritative sources that inform international policy and actions related to human-caused climate change. In 2007, the organization was awarded part of the Nobel Peace Prize for its work.
Gonzalez has previously contributed as a lead author to four IPCC reports, including the terrestrial ecosystems chapter in the 2022 assessment. For this new report, scheduled for completion in 2028 or 2029, he will help produce the North America chapter in the section focused on climate change impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability within IPCC Working Group II.
“It’s an honor to advance climate change science and solutions as part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,” Gonzalez said. “This work provides a strong foundation for innovative policies and meaningful efforts to halt climate change.”
Gonzalez is an associate adjunct professor in UC Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. He earned his doctorate from Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group. His field research spans Africa, Latin America, and the United States with studies on topics such as tree mortality, wildfire risk, carbon management strategies, and broader climate impacts. He has collaborated with local communities and land managers across 26 countries and worked with 269 units within the U.S. National Park System.
In his career prior to this appointment, Gonzalez served as principal climate change scientist at the U.S. National Park Service and was assistant director for climate and biodiversity at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He has also contributed to public understanding of climate issues through media engagement while advocating for scientific integrity.
Alongside Gonzalez from UC Berkeley’s main campus, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists Charles Koven and Nan Zhou have also been named lead authors for companion volumes in this IPCC assessment cycle. Koven is a UC Berkeley alumnus who completed his Ph.D. in environmental science, policy, and management in 2006.
