Written by: Suhaib Shams
The Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Jim Skea, has called for the urgent need to reach a swift consensus on the timeline for releasing the new scientific report on climate change. This came following the panel's suspension of its negotiations in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, after member states failed to agree on a specific date for publishing the results of the anticipated report, which serves as a fundamental reference for global policymakers.
Timing Crisis and International Summit Goals
Disputes center around whether the report should be issued in time for the UN Climate Summit scheduled for 2028, which will witness an international review of progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, or postponed to 2029. Some countries, including Saudi Arabia, India, and China, are pushing for a postponement to allow more time to integrate specialized scientific data from developing countries and ensure the comprehensiveness of the assessments.
The Importance of Scientific Reports in Decision Making
Jim Skea emphasized that reaching a consensus on the timing of the report's release is vital, given the pivotal role these documents play in clarifying the scale of climate change risks and the necessity of accelerating international adaptation efforts. He explained that the adjournment of the meetings in Addis Ababa led to the departure of delegations from many countries, especially those most vulnerable to climate impacts, stressing the importance of everyone's participation to ensure that assessments are robust and fairly represent the needs of all nations.
Scientific Warnings Against Delaying Outputs
For their part, about 117 scientists working on the new report addressed an open letter confirming their continued work, stressing that their reports aim to guide the global response to the climate crisis based on the best available evidence. The scientists warned that a report published after major political decisions are made cannot achieve its primary purpose, considering that the 2028 conference represents a critical moment that the world should not face without obtaining the latest scientific assessments provided by the panel. Skea is expected to resume the plenary session at the earliest possible opportunity to ensure the completion of the panel's pending tasks.
