Notes on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) ЁЯМН
What is the IPCC?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international body for the assessment of climate change. It was established in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Its primary goal is to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications, and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options.
Role and Function
The IPCC’s main function is to assess the vast amount of scientific, technical, and socio-economic information produced worldwide relevant to understanding climate change.
- It doesn’t conduct its own research. Instead, it relies on thousands of scientists from around the world who volunteer their time to review and synthesize the latest published research.
- Its assessments are policy-relevant, not policy-prescriptive. This means the IPCC presents scientific findings and options for policymakers but does not tell governments what actions to take.
- The process is designed to be comprehensive, objective, open, and transparent to ensure credibility.
How the IPCC Works
The work of the IPCC is organized into three main Working Groups (WGs) and a Task Force.
- Working Group I (WGI): Deals with the Physical Science Basis of climate change.
- Working Group II (WGII): Focuses on Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability.
- Working Group III (WGIII): Assesses the Mitigation of climate change (how to reduce emissions).
- Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Develops methodologies for measuring emissions and removals.
These groups produce major reports every 6-7 years called Assessment Reports (ARs).
Key IPCC Reports
The most significant outputs of the IPCC are its comprehensive Assessment Reports and Special Reports.
- Assessment Reports (ARs): These are the most comprehensive evaluations of the state of the climate. The latest completed cycle is the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), which was finalized in 2023.
- Special Reports: The IPCC also produces reports on specific topics. A famous example is the “Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5┬░C” (2018), which highlighted the urgent need to limit global warming to 1.5┬░C above pre-industrial levels.
The findings in these reports form the scientific basis for international climate negotiations, such as those under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.