Call for experts to support the 2026 National Climate Change Risk Assessment
4 June 2025
Apply to join an expert working group
We're calling on independent experts with experience in adaptation research to apply to help review our work so far on the 2026 National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA).
These expert review groups will help ensure our evidence base is balanced and reflective of current knowledge, and that our assessment is rigorous and fair. Experts will focus on whether we have identified the correct risks, not overlooked any significant factors in the analysis, and drawn sensible conclusions.
To express interest in joining a review group, please apply online. Applications close 11:59pm, 22 June 2025.
Through our assessment, we are looking particularly at risks to Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy, society, environment and ecology that step from the physical impacts of climate change such as rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storms. We are not looking at risks related to emissions and efforts to reduce them.
These working groups will be reviewing the risks across six of seven domains, including:
- Built environment
- Economy and financial system
- Governance
- Natural environment
- People, health and communities
- Sectors relying on the natural environment
Read more about each domain, including the key risks we have identified.
What we're looking for
We are seeking to appoint suitable experts to review the risk identification and analysis work currently completed by the Commission. We are looking for independent experts who have significant experience/expertise related to the risks within the domain, but also an ability to look across the whole domain and provide a broad view. Experience providing similar services related to climate risk assessments and understanding of the requirements of the NCCRA will be valuable.
The purpose of expert review groups is to ensure our evidence base is balanced and reflective of current knowledge, and our assessment is rigorous and fair, based on expert judgement. Experts will focus on whether we have identified the correct risks, included all significant factors in the analysis, and drawn sensible conclusions.
Experts are expected to constructively engage with their domain working group and the Commission’s staff to discuss the risks, as well as providing written feedback.
All applications will be reviewed by our project team using the following evaluation detailed in this document
Expert Working Group information pack [PDF – 135 KB]
What you can expect from being involved
Experts will contribute the equivalent of 3-5 days of work between July and October 2025. This will involve actively engaging with others to discuss the risks as well as providing written feedback. This will include several online or in-person meetings/workshops, as well as independent reading and review of the Commission’s currently identified risks.
Experts will be paid a daily rate of $800 per day, up to a maximum total of $4000.
More information
For more details about this project, please see our project page for the 2026 risk assessment.
To express interest in joining a review group, please apply online. Applications close 11:59pm, 22 June 2025.