IPCC experts as passeurs actors: A new typology of international experts in domestic science-policy interfaces
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, the international climate regime has shifted from a top-down to a polycentric approach, with climate targets now primarily formulated at the national level. In this context, experts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have gained increased resonance and policy relevance, achieving a more prominent place than before. While policy studies have traditionally focused on conceptualizing the roles of international experts in international arenas through generic ideal types such as elites, brokers, or advocates, scant attention has been given to the diverse profiles and dissemination practices of international experts within their domestic policy contexts. Building on previous work on different ideal types of scientific experts, this article introduces a new typology of configurations of international expertise dissemination that outlines six ideal types of passeurs involved in intergovernmental panels. These ideal types are categorized according to the professional affiliations of the experts, their roles played in institutionalized science-policy interfaces, and the political audiences they engage with. This typology facilitates the understanding and comparison of all dissemination strategies employed by the experts domestically. Using qualitative methods, this new typology is illustrated in two case studies of IPCC experts involved in the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6): the French and the Argentinian IPCC experts. This typology offers a valuable tool for analyzing and comparing all possible national arrangements for disseminating expertise emanating from scientific panels or similar expert groups.
Source: Environmental Science & Policy
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,250
OpenAlex ID: W7202149982