š„š”The carrots are cooked - IPCC Special
IPCC, AR6, WG 1 ? 5 things you need to know about the IPCC and their reports
Today at 6pm AEST, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is holding a press conference to announce the releasing of a very important report titled "Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science basis".
The findings in this report are arguably the most important piece of information that should guide all governments, business leaders, in all their decisions.
Yet, many people have never heard of the IPCC, and sometimes its ways of working are not well understood.
Here are the 5 most important things to know about the IPCC and their reports.
What is the IPCC?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is an international body of the United Nations, responsible for assessing the science related to climate change. It was established in 1988, with the primary objective to provide governments at all levels with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies.
The IPCC is recognised as the most comprehensive, objective and trusted source of information when it comes to understanding climate change - itās the gold standard.
In 2007, the IPCC and U.S. Vice-President Al Gore were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize āfor their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such changeā.
What is the purpose of the IPCC?
The purpose of the IPCC is to prepare comprehensive assessment reports about scientific knowledge on climate change, its causes, potential impacts and response options.
A very important point: the IPCC does not produce any new research. Hundreds of scientists volunteer their time to review and assess the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to the understanding of climate change.
How does the IPCC work?
Firstly, the IPCC is not of a group of people, it is an organisation of governments that are members of the United Nations or WMO. Currently 195 countries are members of the IPCC.
The IPCC is divided into three Working Groups and a Task Force.
Find out more about the functioning of the IPCC here.
AR6, WG1 - What does it mean?
The IPCCās comprehensive assessment reports are published every 6 to 7 years. The last one, the fifth assessment report (AR5), was released between 2013 and 2014.
The 6th assessment report (AR6) will include:
The reports of the three Working Groups
Three Special Reports onĀ Global Warming of 1.5Ā°C, onĀ Climate Change and Land, and on theĀ Ocean and the Cryosphere in a Changing Climate.Ā
The report released today is the output from Working Group 1 (WG1), along with the summary for policy makers.
The WG1 report will contain the physical basis of climate science. For the first time, a chapter will be dedicated to extreme weather events - Extreme temperatures (both hot and cold), torrential rains, tropical cyclones, bushfires - and the state of scientific knowledge on these events.
The reports from Working Groups 2 and 3 are due to be released in 2022, and the final AR6 synthesis report should be released towards the end of 2022, early 2023. It builds on all the findings from all the report in the cycle.
Why is this report of particular relevance?
The 6th assessment report is important for a few reasons:
It's the first major report to be released since 2014. In 7 years, climate models and scientists understanding has significantly evolved. Our climate also has significantly evolved.
This report will be a key input into the negotiations to be held during the upcoming COP26 in Glasgow in November.
That said, nothing that comes out of the report should come as a surprise, again because it's not new research.
For more information:
In English - The conversation:
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