Seventh assessment of IPCC commenced

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded its 59th session held in Nairobi, Kenya marked the beginning of the seventh assessment cycle.

So, let us look at the IPCC’s role in climate assessment.

• Background: Established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the IPCC produces comprehensive assessment reports (ARs) that are considered the most authoritative source of scientific knowledge on climate change.
  • So far, it has released six Assessment Reports — the final synthesis report of the sixth AR came out in March 2023.
• Objective of the Organisation: The primary role of the IPCC Chair is to oversee the reports which come out in each assessment cycle.
  • An open and transparent review by experts and governments around the world is an essential part of the IPCC process, to ensure an objective and complete assessment and to reflect a diverse range of views and expertise.
  • Through its assessments, the IPCC identifies the strength of scientific agreement in different areas and indicates where further research is needed.
  • The IPCC does not conduct its own research.
• Structure: The IPCC is divided into three Working Groups and a Task Force.
  • Working Group I deal with The Physical Science Basis of Climate Change, Working Group II with Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability and Working Group III with Mitigation of Climate Change.
  • The main objective of the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories is to develop and refine a methodology for the calculation and reporting of national greenhouse gas emissions and removals.

What are the IPCC assessment cycles?

• The IPCC is committed to preparing reports that aim for the highest standards of scientific excellence, balance, and clarity.
• Multiple stages of review are an essential part of the IPCC process to ensure a comprehensive, objective and transparent assessment of the current state of knowledge of the science related to climate change.
• Expert Reviewers and governments are invited at different stages to comment on the scientific, technical and socio-economic assessment and the overall balance of the drafts.

Review process to draft an assessment report:

• In each of these cycles, the body also produced several special reports on specific topics.
• Every IPCC report goes through several drafts and reviews to ensure it is as robust, comprehensive and balanced as possible.
• Significance: The review process is critical for ensuring the assessment is scientifically rigorous, exhaustive, objective and transparent; broad participation in the IPCC review process is one of the core strengths of IPCC assessments.