The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) and UN-Habitat, as co-hosts of the 2026 Innovate4Cities Conference (I4C26), in partnership with ICLEI–Local Governments for Sustainability and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC), are pleased to facilitate an in-person Organized Expert Review for the Second Order Draft (SOD) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Climate Change and Cities (SRCities).

We invite all interested participants to join as expert reviewers to help shape the landmark report during this workshop at I4C26 in Nairobi.

Missed the I4C26 Organized Expert Review Online Info Session?

On 13 and 15 May 2026, the I4C26 Organizing Team hosted two online info sessions to provide information and guidance on the review process.

If you were unable to join us live, you can now access the full recording here. 

How to Participate to the I4C26 Organized Expert Review

To participate in the I4C26 Organized Expert Review you must complete the following 3 steps:

• Step 1: Register with the IPCC. Sign up as an official IPCC expert reviewer no later than 3 June 2026.
• Step 2: Confirm with I4C26. Confirm your interest in the I4C26 Organized Expert Review with this form no later than 3 June 2026.
• Step 3: Conduct your pre-conference review by 12 June. More details below. 

How to conduct your pre-conference review (step 3):

• To submit your comments, download the IPCC Excel comment template, insert your comments and send the completed template to innovate4cities@gcomprojectsupport.org by 12 June.
• To download the template, log in to your IPCC account at this page using your credentials. Click “Comments” from the top bar, then “Upload New Comments (Excel),” and finally “Download Form.”
• Please note: In order to be part of the I4C26 Organized Expert Review you only need to send the template to innovate4cities@gcomprojectsupport.org. You do not need to upload it to your IPCC page.

Comments submitted prior to the conference will be integrated into the workshop discussions and the final submission to IPCC. These comments are considered equivalent in value to comments made in person.

Please submit your comments to innovate4cities@gcomprojectsupport.org by 12 June.

Guidelines for reviewers of the I4C26 Organized Expert Review:

To efficiently distribute workload and ensure all parts of the report receive a thorough review, we invite participants to focus their review on specific areas of interest. Please select one or two focus areas from the list below:

• Key messages
• Cross-chapters boxes
• Figures
• Case study Gallery (Chapter 5)
• Case studies within the chapters
• Comms
• First Order Draft feedback

Please also note that:

• You do not have to read the whole report, reviewers can comment on a single paragraph, section, or chapter.
• It is crucial to provide specific comments by addressing page and line numbers within chapters or focus areas rather than offering general feedback on the entire report.
• Reviewers can suggest literature but it must have been published before 31 March 2026.

In-Person I4C26 Organized Expert Review Schedule:

The in-person review in Nairobi will follow a two-day intensive workshop format, structured as follows:

• Day 1 – 22 June (15:00 – 17:30): Afternoon session dedicated to providing specific comments on the report. The review will be conducted in breakout groups, with a designated facilitator to guide and support the review process.
• Day 2 – 23 June (17:00 – 19:00): Afternoon session dedicated to a discussion on the comments to ensure consistency and balance, finalizing substantive feedback.

Please note that it is not mandatory to join both sessions to be considered part of the I4C26 Organized Expert Review.

If you’re interested in learning more about all workshops offered at I4C26, please visit this page.