What is the IPCC? What They Do and Why Their Reports Matter

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Ever heard of the IPCC and their reports? Wondering what the IPCC is, how they operate, or what their reports cover?

Let’s break it down together.

What is the IPCC?

IPCC stands for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

They are the United Nations body responsible for assessing the science related to climate change. Comprised of 195 state members, the IPCC even won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for their impactful work.

What is the mission of the IPCC?

Unlike a research lab, the IPCC doesn't conduct its own studies.

Instead, they evaluate the state of existing published climate research that has already been peer reviewed, and they do so every few years to express the scientific consensus.

(Note: A scientific consensus is the collective agreement among scientists on a particular scientific issue, based on a substantial body of evidence)

They also provide summary reports so decision makers can have a clear picture about climate change and act accordingly.

How do the IPCC Work?

Taking their 6th report (AR6) as an example, the IPCC brought together over 780 scientists to produce a comprehensive 4,000-page document, along with various summaries. The shortest of these is the 37-page Summary for Policymakers. In creating the report, they:

Assessed over 100,000 pieces of scientific literature that already been published and peer-reviewed.
Opened their report to address public comments, receiving and addressing hundreds of thousands of responses. All the reports are approved unanimously.

What is an IPCC Report?

An IPCC report contains unanimously approved facts on causes, consequences, impacts, and mitigation plans related to climate change.

These reports contain no opinion or recommendations and are “policy-relevant but not policy-prescriptive.” This means their objective is to compile and explain relevant facts to policymakers, enabling them to make informed decisions.

For instance, the IPCC will not tell you to stop driving a car. Instead, they will explain how CO2 emissions are impacting our climate, the share of CO2 emissions generated by cars, and what alternatives exist, leaving the decisions up to individuals or decision-making entities.

What Does the Latest IPCC Report Tell Us? ?

The IPCC produced the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) completed on March 2023.
A very short summary of this report would be:

It is scientifically proven that global warming is due to human activities.
We know we have already warmed the globe by 1.1°C.
Unless we reach net zero by 2050, greenhouse gas emissions will continue to warm the planet, potentially leading to a 5°C increase by 2100.
The window of opportunity to limit global warming to 1.5°C is rapidly closing.
Every increment of warming increases the severity of impacts across natural and human systems.
Consequences include, but are not limited to, an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, reduced crop production, water scarcity, a biodiversity collapse, the spread of infectious diseases, mass migrations, and impacts on infrastructure.
Solutions to secure a sustainable future for all exists. It is possible to limit global warming to 1.5°C, but immediate action is required.

Below a video summarizing the key messages of the 6th report: