What’s Happening at the IPCC?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading United Nations body for assessing science related to climate change. Created by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme in 1988, the IPCC undertakes a comprehensive review of the latest climate science to provide a vital shared understanding of the nature of the climate challenge.

The IPCC is also called on to provide input to inform government policies on climate change. One way it does this is through establishing methodologies for national inventory reports of greenhouse gases under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Additionally, the Sixth Assessment Report Synthesis Report was used to inform the stocktaking of countries’ collective progress toward achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement in 2023.

The IPCC produces an assessment report (AR) every five to seven years which consist of separate contributions from Working Group I (The Physical Science Basis), Working Group II (Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability), and Working Group III (Mitigation of Climate Change). Assessment reports can also include additional products, such as special reports and methodology reports, as well as reports from expert meetings and workshops. The cycle typically wraps up with a synthesis report, which summarizes all findings from previous reports during the assessment period. Currently, the IPCC is preparing reports for its seventh assessment cycle (AR7), which began in July 2023 and will end by or during 2030.

What’s happening next

The IPCC Bureau and member governments convened in February in Hangzhou, China for the Sixty-Second Session of the Panel (IPCC-62) where they approved outlines for the three working group reports, including an update to the 1994 Technical Guidelines for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations. The IPCC has since sent a call out to governments and observer organizations to nominate authors who, if chosen, will meet in late 2025 to begin work on the reports. Additionally, delegates will meet again later this year in Lima, Peru, to decide on the timeline of the cycle, including how to make it policy-relevant in accordance with key UNFCCC milestones over the next five years, particularly the second Global Stocktake in 2028.

Status of the seventh assessment cycle (Ar7)

Working Group reports

The cycle will consist of reports from each Working Group, the timing of which will be decided at IPCC-63:

• Working Group I (WGI) – The Physical Science Basis
  • Approved Outline
  • Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, and Review Editors (TBD)

• Working Group II (WGII) – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
  • Approved Outline
  • Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, and Review Editors (TBD)

• Working Group III (WGIII) – Mitigation of Climate Change
  • Approved Outline
  • Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, and Review Editors (TBD)

technical guidelines for assessing Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations

An update to the 1994 Technical Guidelines for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations, and adaptation indicators, metrics and methodologies, to be developed in conjunction with the WGII report.

• • Approved Outline
  • Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, and Review Editors (TBD)

Special Report on Climate Change and Cities

A Special Report on Climate Change and Cities (SRCC) by March 19, 2027.

• • Approved Outline
  • Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, and Review Editors

Methodology Report on Short-Lived Climate Forcers

A Methodology Report on Short-Lived Climate Forcers (MR-SLCF) during the second half of 2027.

• • Approved Outline
  • Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, and Review Editors 

methodology report On Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage

An Expert Meeting of the Task Force on Inventories for Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage and provide a Methodology Report by the end of 2027.

• • Approved Outline (TBD)
  • Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, and Review Editors (TBD)

Synthesis Report

The cycle will conclude with a synthesis report as soon as possible after the conclusion of the working group reports by late 2029.

• • Approved Outline (TBD)
  • Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, and Review Editors (TBD)