The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.

Latest

IPCC Chair’s remarks during the opening of the High-Level Segment of the World Leaders Climate Action Summit — Baku, Azerbaijan 12 November 2024 Your Excellencies, Dear delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen As the Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the IPCC – it is an honour to address the High-Level Segment of COP 29. Climate change Read more

IPCC Chair’s remarks during the opening of the Earth Information Day event at COP29 — 11 November 2024, Baku, Azerbaijan Check against delivery. Dear delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen As the Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the IPCC – I am pleased to make a few remarks at the opening session of Read more

The IPCC at COP29 — GENEVA, Nov 07 - The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will have a strong presence at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). COP29 runs from 11 to 22 Read more

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The IPCC was created to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options.

Through its assessments, the IPCC determines the state of knowledge on climate change. It identifies where there is agreement in the scientific community on topics related to climate change, and where further research is needed. The reports are drafted and reviewed in several stages, thus guaranteeing objectivity and transparency.  The IPCC does not conduct its own research. IPCC reports are neutral, policy-relevant but not policy-prescriptive.  The assessment reports are a key input into the international negotiations to tackle climate change. Created by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988, the IPCC  has 195 Member countries. In the same year, the UN General Assembly endorsed the action by WMO and UNEP in jointly establishing the IPCC.

Activities

The main activity of the IPCC is the preparation of reports assessing the state of knowledge of climate change. These include assessment reports, special reports and methodology reports. To deliver this work programme, the IPCC holds meetings of its government representatives, convening as plenary sessions of the Panel or IPCC Working Groups to approve, adopt and accept reports. Plenary Sessions of the IPCC also determine the IPCC work programme, and other business including its budget and outlines of reports. The IPCC Bureau meets regularly to provide guidance to the Panel on scientific and technical aspects of its work. The IPCC organizes scoping meetings of experts and meetings of lead authors to prepare reports. It organizes expert meetings and workshops on various topics to support its work programme, and publishes the proceedings of these meetings.  To communicate its findings and explain its work, the IPCC takes part in outreach activities organized by the IPCC or hosted by other organizations, and provides speakers to other conferences. More information on sessions of the IPCC, its Working Groups and the Bureau can be found in the Documentation section.

 
Expert Meetings & Workshops

IPCC Workshop on IPCC Inventory Software

September 4, 2024
Expert Meetings & Workshops

IPCC Expert Meeting on Reconciling Land Use Emissions

July 9, 2024
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Reports

The IPCC prepares comprehensive Assessment Reports about the state of scientific, technical and socio-economic knowledge on climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for reducing the rate at which climate change is taking place. It also produces Special Reports on topics agreed to by its member governments, as well as Methodology Reports that provide guidelines for the preparation of greenhouse gas inventories. The latest report is the Sixth Assessment Report which consists of three Working Group contributions and a Synthesis Report. The Working Group I contribution was finalized in August 2021, the Working Group II contribution in February 2022, the Working Group III contribution in April 2022 and the Synthesis Report in March 2023. 

The IPCC is currently in its seventh assessment cycle which formally began in July 2023 with elections of the new Chair and new IPCC and TFI Bureaus

 

Sixth Assessment Report: 2023

Synthesis Report

AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2023

March 2023

Working Group Report

AR6 Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability

February 2022

Working Group Report

AR6 Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change

April 2022

Working Group Report

AR6 Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis

August 2021

Special and Methodology Reports

Special Report

Special Report on Climate Change and Cities

March 2027

Working Group Report

2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers

July 2027

Working Group Report

Global Warming of 1.5°C

October 2018

Working Group Report

Climate Change and Land

August 2019

Fifth Assessment Report: 2014

Synthesis Report

AR5 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2014

October 2014

Working Group Report

AR5 Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis

September 2013

Working Group Report

AR5 Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability

March 2014

Working Group Report

AR5 Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change

April 2014

Fourth Assessment Report: 2007

Synthesis Report

AR4 Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report

September 2007

Working Group Report

AR4 Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis

June 2007

Working Group Report

AR4 Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability

July 2007

Working Group Report

AR4 Climate Change 2007: Mitigation of Climate Change

June 2007

Third Assessment Report: 2001

Synthesis Report

TAR Climate Change 2001: Synthesis Report

October 2001

Working Group Report

TAR Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis

January 2001

Working Group Report

TAR Climate Change 2001: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability

May 2001

Working Group Report

TAR Climate Change 2001: Mitigation

July 2001

Second Assessment Report: 1995

Synthesis Report

SAR Climate Change 1995: Synthesis Report

October 1995

Working Group Report

SAR Climate Change 1995: The Science of Climate Change

February 1995

Working Group Report

SAR Climate Change 1995: Impacts, Adaptations and Mitigation of Climate Change: Scientific-Technical Analyses

July 1995

Working Group Report

SAR Climate Change 1995: Economic and Social Dimensions of Climate Change

July 1995

First Assessment Report: 1990

Synthesis Report

FAR Climate Change: Synthesis

March 1990

Working Group Report

FAR Climate Change: Scientific Assessment of Climate Change

June 1990

Working Group Report

FAR Climate Change: Impacts Assessment of Climate Change

July 1990

Working Group Report

FAR Climate Change: The IPCC Response Strategies

October 1990

Special Report

Special Report

The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate

September 2019

Working Group Report

Global Warming of 1.5°C

October 2018

Working Group Report

Climate Change and Land

August 2019

Special Report

Aviation and the Global Atmosphere

March 1999

Methodology Report

Working Group Report

2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers

July 2027

Methodology Report

1994 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

May 1994

Working Group Report

2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

April 2006

Working Groups and Task Force

IPCC assessments and special reports are prepared by three Working Groups, each looking at a different aspect of the science related to climate change: Working Group I (The Physical Science Basis), Working Group II (Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability), and Working Group III (Mitigation of Climate Change). The IPCC also has a Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, whose main objective is to develop and refine a methodology for the calculation and reporting of national greenhouse gas emissions and removals. The Working Groups and Task Force handle the preparation of reports, selecting and managing the experts that work on them as authors. The activities of each Working Group and the Task Force are supported by their Technical Support Units (TSU).

 

Working Group I

The IPCC Working Group I aims at assessing the physical scientific basis of the climate system and climate change.

August 2017

Working Group II

The IPCC Working Group II assesses the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change, negative and positive consequences …

January 2018

Working Group III

The IPCC Working Group III (WG III) assesses options for mitigating climate change through limiting or preventing greenhouse gas emissions …

August 2017

TFI

The Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (TFI) was established by the IPCC to oversee the IPCC National Greenhouse …

November 2016