Last week, in the bustling city of Hangzhou in the province of Zhejiang, China, the 62nd session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-62) unfolded. The gathering was a critical step in shaping the seventh assessment cycle (AR7), which holds immense significance for global climate action.
The meeting drew 449 participants from across the globe, including 300 delegates representing 124 member countries and 48 observer organizations. These attendees, hailing from governments, international organizations, and civil society, came together under the umbrella of the IPCC, a scientific body of 195 member countries tasked with assessing the science of climate change, its impacts, and the pathways to adapt and mitigate its effects.
As the session opened, IPCC Chair Jim Skea took the stage, his tone both reflective and forward-looking. He lauded the Panel’s “important and steady progress” since the launch of AR7, emphasizing IPCC’s pivotal role in informing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process. Skea outlined the week’s agenda, describing it as “rich and demanding,” a fitting summary for the weighty discussions that lay ahead.
At the heart of the meeting was the approval of the outlines for the three working group reports and their associated implementation plans including timelines for release. This effort built on the groundwork laid during IPCC-60, where crucial decisions about the workplan for the coming years were made, including the scope and timelines for key outputs. The subsequent session, IPCC-61, had further advanced these plans, finalizing outlines for the Special Report on Cities and Climate Change and a methodological report on short-lived climate forcers.
The three Working Groups (WGs), each with a distinct focus, are the backbone of the IPCC’s scientific assessments: WGI delves into the physical science of climate change, the second WGII examines the impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability associated with a warming planet and the third WGIII explores strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change.
Despite the progress, the session was not without its challenges as delegates found themselves grappling with the complexities of aligning the Panel’s work with the urgency of the global climate crisis. Consensus on key elements of the AR7 timeline remained elusive, prompting the Panel to agree on further deliberations regarding the strategic planning schedule. This delay highlighted the delicate balance between thoroughness and timeliness, a tension that often arises in the pursuit of scientific rigor.
The stakes for AR7 are particularly high since its anticipated that its findings, if agreed upon would feed into the second Global Stocktake (GST), a process under the Paris Agreement designed to assess global progress toward climate goals. This connection amplifies the urgency of delivering the reports on time, and ensuring that contributions from member states are fully integrated into the global response.
Chair Jim Skea emphasized the need for inclusivity and efficiency, particularly for the least developed countries (LDCs). “We must prioritize substantive issues and avoid overrunning meeting times,” he cautioned, noting the disproportionate impact extended sessions could have on LDCs, which may lack the resources to prolong their participation.
The IPCC’s commitment to scientific integrity, fairness, and justice remains unwavering, evidenced by the progress made through the science-based data-driven decisions. The Panel continues to uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR), recognizing the varying capacities of nations to address climate change in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).
The IPCC-62 also aimed at shining a light on the state of global financing during the AR7 cycle, ensuring that finance is available is a critical factor towards the achievement of meaningful climate action.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), brought a sense of urgency to the discussions. She pointed to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) stark warning: 2024 was the warmest year on record, with global temperatures approximately 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels. “Every degree, every day, every week counts,” Andersen stressed. “It is vital that delegates finalize timelines, outlines, and budgets to ensure timely and impactful action.”
The IPCC’s reports are designed to inform policy without prescribing, and by this provide the scientific foundation for international climate negotiations and support governments at all levels in crafting effective responses to the climate crisis.
Ko Barrett, Deputy Secretary-General of the WMO, echoed this sentiment, urging the Panel to take “decisive action” during the IPCC-62. She emphasized the importance of AR7 reports for the second GST and warned that the cost of inaction far exceeds the cost of action.
Simon Stiell, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, struck a note of cautious optimism in his video message to the forum. Reflecting on the progress made since the adoption of the Paris Agreement a decade ago, he revealed that global investments in the energy transition had surpassed USD 2 trillion in 2024.
Yet, he cautioned that the window to limit warming to 1.5°C is rapidly closing. “We must accelerate action,” he urged, particularly on adaptation, to safeguard communities and ecosystems from the escalating impacts of climate change.
As the IPCC-62 session drew to a close, the sense of urgency was more visible with the path ahead seemingly fraught with challenges, but the resolve of the IPCC and its partners remains steadfast. The world is watching, and the clock is ticking.
