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This document is a report on the 2023 Extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held via videoconference on 18 April 2023. The primary purpose of the meeting was the election of a new Executive Director for the IAI.

The 2023 Extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) was held on 18 April 2023 to elect a new Executive Director. Following a recruitment process overseen by a 10-member search committee, Dr. Anna Stewart Ibarra was recommended and subsequently elected to a three-year term. The search committee highlighted the need for the IAI to bridge the gap between science and policy to address global environmental change challenges in the Americas.

On April 18, 2023, the IAI Conference of the Parties held an extraordinary meeting via videoconference to elect a new executive director. Following a selection process managed by a 10-member committee, Dr. Anna Stewart-Ibarra was recommended and subsequently elected to the position for a three-year term. The selection committee emphasized the need for leadership capable of bridging the gap between science and policy to address global environmental change in the Americas.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research is seeking nominations to replace three members of the Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) and one member of the Science Advisory Committee (SAC) by June 2023. Nominations will be filled at the 31st meeting of the Conference of the Parties in Panama City. The institute emphasizes the need for international expertise in global change in the Americas, with a specific call for geographic, gender, and ethnic balance, noting underrepresentation of South America, the Caribbean, and the Tropical Andes. Desired expertise includes science diplomacy, economics, biodiversity governance, and informatics.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is seeking nominations to replace four committee members whose mandates expire in June 2023. Three vacancies are for the Science and Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) and one for the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). Nominations will be addressed at the 31st Conference of the Parties in Panama City from June 21-22, 2023. The IAI emphasizes the need for international recognition in global change science in the Americas, interdisciplinary experience, and a desire for better geographic, gender, and ethnic balance, specifically noting underrepresentation from South America, the Caribbean, and the Tropical Andes.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on February 16, 2023, to foster international cooperation and the exchange of scientific information. The agreement focuses on understanding the impact of global change on regional and continental environments in the Americas to support mitigation and adaptation efforts. The parties commit to annual meetings, reciprocal representation at events, and the exchange of publications, operating on a non-legally binding basis and generally without the exchange of funds.

The IAI Science Diplomacy Center (SDC) held its first advisory board meeting in November 2022 to establish a framework for strengthening the science-policy interface in the Americas. The board defined a vision focused on peaceful and sustainable regional development through transdisciplinary collaborations and set goals including the creation of a science diplomacy knowledge hub and regional training. Key recommendations include focusing on 'Climate Action' as a priority thematic area, leveraging the Science, Technology and Policy (STeP) Fellowship program to produce non-technical policy briefs, and developing a strategic communication plan to attract diverse funding from foundations and member Parties. The meeting also highlighted the need for contextualized training that includes scientists, diplomats, and journalists, and the establishment of a formal mentorship program to bridge the gap between early-career researchers and policy-makers.

The IAI Science Diplomacy Center (SDC) held its first advisory board meeting in November 2022 to define its mission, vision, and goals for enhancing science diplomacy in the Americas. The board identified 'Climate Action' as a primary initial focus area and recommended the development of a Strategic Communication Plan to provide decision-makers with digestible, non-technical scientific information. The SDC aims to operate as a knowledge hub and leverage the STeP Fellowship Program to build regional capacity, while exploring sustainable funding through grants, donations, or matching fund structures.

The IAI is conducting a Regional Assessment to better understand how global environmental change (GEC) affects the decisions of its member Parties. Through surveys and subregional listening sessions held in 2022, the IAI identified 'climate action' as the most important current national priority for 14 Parties. Key barriers to using scientific information include a lack of intersectoral collaboration and a lack of science available for non-technical audiences. The assessment has grouped member countries by shared priorities and identified specific regional focuses, such as water security in the Southern Cone and biodiversity in the Andean subregion. Next steps include a deep analysis of collected data and a review of national policy documents, with results to be communicated at CoP-31.

The IAI Executive Directorate reports progress on science and capacity building between July and October 2022. Key activities include the 'Climate and Health Responder Course for Latin America', the publication of a compendium on climate impacts in LAC, and the expansion of the STeP fellowship program to 45 fellows across 8 countries. The IAI also coordinated participation in the UNGA77 Science Summit and the SRI2022 congress, while establishing a Steering Committee for a Center for Science Diplomacy.

The 30th meeting of the IAI Conference of the Parties (CoP-30) focused on administrative governance, financial sustainability, and the advancement of transdisciplinary climate research in the Americas. Key outcomes included the approval of the 2022-2023 operating budget, the adoption of a revised Scientific Agenda, and the establishment of a Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy. The meeting also initiated the recruitment process for a new Executive Director and planned for the 31st meeting to be hosted by Panama in 2023.

The report details a two-day conference in Jamaica focused on Solar Radiation Modification (SRM). It covers the scientific basis of SRM, including Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) and Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB), the risks of 'termination shock,' and the necessity of a 'risk-risk' framework to compare SRM dangers against those of unchecked global warming. The proceedings highlight a significant gap in research and funding for the Global South, the specific vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States like Jamaica, and the current state of US policy and governance frameworks for solar geoengineering research.

The report argues that greening Aid for Trade (A4T) is essential for supporting developing countries in their transition to a sustainable global economy. It identifies a gap between the reported environmental objectives of A4T and actual project implementation, noting that while many donors use Rio markers, few projects have a clear environmental purpose. The document proposes six complementary pathways to green A4T: mainstreaming environmental considerations, securing additional financing, improving monitoring systems, integrating trade into climate funding, strengthening South-South cooperation, and fostering coherence with wider financial mechanisms like debt relief and climate finance. It emphasizes that developing countries must lead the prioritization of these resources to ensure a just transition that avoids new trade barriers and addresses the 'double exposure' of economic and environmental risks.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is launching a program to train 'Climate, Environment and Health Responders' in the Americas. The initiative focuses on a transdisciplinary (TD) approach to bridge the science-policy gap, targeting a diverse group of stakeholders including government officials, researchers, and community leaders. The program consists of a 7-week virtual mentorship and training phase, an in-person regional grant development workshop, and the awarding of seed grants for pilot studies or further grant development. A key requirement for seed grants is the procurement of co-funding, with a particular emphasis on supporting member countries with lower science and technology capacity.

The "Climate and Environment Response for Health in the Americas" initiative is a three-phase program consisting of virtual training, a regional grant development workshop, and seed grants. It targets public sector actors, researchers, and community leaders to foster the co-creation of evidence-based public policies that address environmental determinants of health, with a strong emphasis on equity, diversity, and transdisciplinary collaboration.

The IAI's 2022 policy aims to ensure the full and equitable participation of underrepresented groups—including women, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, racialized groups, and LGBTQ+ communities—within its scientific and capacity-building initiatives. The policy outlines five primary objectives: promoting EDI in science, integrating EDI into IAI activities, reducing selection biases, fostering inclusive research environments, and increasing regional EDI capacities. It emphasizes an intersectional approach to address systemic barriers and aligns with international standards such as the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science and UN Sustainable Development Goal 5.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) surveyed 16 member countries to identify priorities and barriers regarding global environmental change. Climate action is the top current priority, while energy security and human health are key emergent priorities. Major barriers to using scientific data in decision-making include a lack of inter-sectoral collaboration and a shortage of non-technical information, while multilateral agreements and international funding are seen as primary opportunities.

The IAI Executive Directorate reported progress in science and capacity building between 2021 and 2022, despite COVID-19 challenges. Key achievements include the expansion of the Science, Technology, and Policy (STeP) fellowship to 45 fellows across 10 countries, the launch of a virtual campus, and the development of a new Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy. The IAI also strengthened regional health-climate research, particularly in the Caribbean and South America, and expanded its science diplomacy initiatives through new partnerships and the planned establishment of the IAI Center for Science Diplomacy.

The IAI Directorate reported progress in science and capacity building between 2021 and 2022, highlighting the expansion of the STeP Fellowship program to 45 fellows across 10 countries and the launch of the IAI Virtual Campus. Key scientific efforts included contributions to the IPCC 6th Assessment Report and the development of climate-health tools for the Caribbean. The Directorate also focused on science diplomacy, establishing the IAI Center for Science Diplomacy and partnering with the Belmont Forum to fund transdisciplinary research. Efforts to increase inclusivity led to the drafting of a Gender, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and the provision of 100 scholarships for students from Latin America and the Caribbean to attend the Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress 2022.

This document is a report and draft decision from the 30th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), proposing the adoption of a revised Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Policy for scientific projects and capacity-building activities.