IPCC

IPCC is short for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The panel is a UN body that documents scientific knowledge about the changing climate. They update decision-makers and suggest strategies for mitigation.

For example, IPCC reported the consequences of global warming of 1.5°C, explaining why humans need to stop emitting greenhouse gases. The body presents its findings in the famous IPCC reports. These collections of contemporary scientific facts get a lot of media attention. Their primary purpose is to present research of high quality to decision-makers. For example, the reports get used at the COP meetings for climate change.

What is the IPCC?

The IPCC has existed since 1988. The body was created by the WMO, World Metrological Organisation, and the UNEP, United Nations Environmental Program. Today, the organisation IPCC consists of 195 countries. These are either members of the WMO or the UN. The work of the IPCC builds on research from scientists all over the world.

However, the IPCC does not finance their own research. Instead, it evaluates already existing, new and relevant research. Then, it highlights and brings forward the facts they believe are accurate and most urgent.

Large scientific reports

The IPCC reports on the present state of the scientific, technical and socio-economic parts concerning climate change. More so, they present the consequences of current emissions and the risks that these have for the future. As mentioned, they introduce ideas for mitigation and give other types of advice.

There are different kinds of IPCC reports. Particularly the "Assessment Reports" present the research from a particular period. So far, the IPCC has released six of these reports. They are chronologically named. For example, the sixth one is known as the Sixth Assessment Report, or AR6. It was published in stages between 2021 and 2023, with the final Synthesis Report released in March 2023. The report before that, AR5, was published in 2013 and 2014.

Other kinds of reports are the so-called "special reports." One example is the "IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C" from 2018. This report builds on about 6,000 scientific articles. More so, it was written by 91 researchers from 40 countries. In other words, the material builds on an enormous amount of scientific work. The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, is what asked the IPCC to write this special report, to help countries understand the difference between 1.5°C and 2°C of warming. This is where the agreement's goal comes from: keeping global warming well below 2°C, but preferably to 1.5°C.

Example of source: Nature