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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) held its 61st plenary session to discuss the timetable for all subsequent reports, but failed to reach a consensus on the issue.
The IPCC, the UN body responsible for conducting scientific assessments of climate change, is currently in its seventh assessment cycle, which will start in July 2023.
At the 61st plenary session, held in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 27 July to 2 August, a decision was supposed to be taken on the timetable for the three reports that make up the Seventh Assessment Report, a comprehensive scientific assessment of climate change, its causes and impacts.
These assessments guide policymaking around the world, namely the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
“We encourage you to successfully complete the strategic planning for the seventh assessment cycle in Sofia, because the world needs to step up action, and the information you provide will play a huge role in the decision-making process,” Youssef Nassef, Director of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said at the 61st session of the IPCC.
“We rely on your frequent updates to guide the parties to fair negotiations,” Nassef added.
However, the more than 114 governments present failed to agree on a timeline for the assessment, but approved the scope of a special report on climate change and cities, and a methodological report on short-term climate factors.
A decision on the timetable has been deferred until the next IPCC meeting in February 2025. But a scoping meeting among experts will take place before the plenary session in December 2024.
IPCC Chairman Jim Skea announced the planning timetable at the opening of the meeting. “This has a profound impact on the timeliness of our products.”
Failure to agree on a date could indicate divisions within the government.
according to Climate Home News The lack of a decision came as a dozen developing countries, including India, Saudi Arabia and China, opposed proposals to speed up the reporting process due to a desire to include more experts from the global South.
The European Union also participated in the meeting as a representative of the European Commission.
“This result is due to divergent views and the difficulty in reaching consensus at the 61st session, while discussions on other agenda items took up the limited time available in the plenary session,” a European Commission official told European Events.
For the committee, a scoping meeting before the plenary session could “allow for smoother and more focused discussions, leading to consensus and a meeting agenda that is policy relevant, inclusive and respectful of the scientific process”.
When Euractiv asked about the discussion, the IPCC chose not to comment, saying it was a closed-door working session.
Achieving the Paris Goals
In the last round of assessments, the Sixth Assessment Report was completed in March 2023, and the first global stocktake was conducted at the COP28 conference in Dubai in December 2023.
The IPCC’s reports provide direct scientific input to the global stocktake, assessing the world’s progress towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.
This process enables countries to understand whether their efforts are effective and where improvements can be made.
It is imperative for the Commission to publish its assessment report before the second global stocktake on the Paris Agreement
“It has been defended by EU member states, other European and non-European countries and the EU delegation itself.
The EU delegation stressed the importance of the timetable for the IPCC’s mandate, which is policy-relevant.” A commission official told Euractiv.
“The EU also noted that policy leaders must deliver on the Paris Agreement and that their demand for science-based policy input is increasing, as accelerated policy responses are necessary to achieve our climate goals,” the official added.
Based on the recommendations made by the IPCC Co-Chairs at their 61st session, these assessment reports should be delivered between May and August 2028.
These dates are for reference only and will align with the next global stocktaking process, which will conclude at the end of 2028.
(Editing by Rajnish Singh)
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