IPCC member governments and participating observer organizations were invited to nominate experts to serve as Coordinating Lead Authors (CLAs), Lead Authors (LAs), and Review Editors (REs) of the various chapters of the three Working Group contributions to AR5. The call for nominations was issued on 15 January 2010 and more than 1000 nominations were received for positions within the WGIII contribution. All nominations were reviewed and their scientific and technical expertise was assessed in relation to the approved chapter outlines for WGIII AR5. These nominations were supplemented where gaps were felt to exist by nominations from the WGIII Bureau. In drawing up a final slate of Lead Authors and Review Editors to undertake a comprehensive assessment with the necessary balance of disciplines, the WGIII Bureau also considered regional and gender balance, as well as ensuring involvement of those who had not been involved with IPCC before.

In accordance with the IPCC procedures, the chapter teams selected by the Working Group Bureau were presented and finalized at the 41st Session of the IPCC Bureau in Geneva, Switzerland, 19-20 May 2010. Acceptances of the invitation to participate were received from the 271 Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors and Review Editors for the 16 Chapters and the slate for the WGIII AR5 was finalized in June 2010. In the course of the next two years, a few individuals found that they were unable to undertake the tasks expected of them, either due to ill health or other work priorities, and stepped down, in most cases being replaced. All such changes were approved by the WGIII Bureau and the final list of the WGIII AR5 chapter teams is available here.