Nations convene in Hangzhou to negotiate the IPCC’s upcoming climate report amid record temperatures and challenges posed by the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. The talks focus on whether to expedite the assessment’s release in light of the 2028 UN climate stocktake. The urgency is emphasized by calls from climate-vulnerable nations for scientific accuracy to guide effective policymaking.
Representatives from nearly 200 nations convene in Hangzhou, China, for crucial negotiations regarding the next significant assessment on global warming by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This conference follows a year characterized by extreme global temperatures and increasing concerns over climate change effects. The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under Donald Trump may impact the meeting, as it is reported that the U.S. will not send a delegation to this five-day event.
The objective of these discussions is to outline the framework for the IPCC’s upcoming report, which seeks to provide vital scientific information fit for informing policymakers. A key consideration is whether this extensive three-part report, covering the science of climate change, its impacts, and potential solutions, can be finalized ahead of a vital UN climate assessment in 2028. While affluent nations and developing countries at risk of climate adverse effects advocate for an expedited timeline, resistance has emerged from major polluters, including India and China.
The High Ambition Coalition, composed of European nations and climate-vulnerable countries, emphasizes the necessity of aligning the 2028 UN progress report with contemporary scientific data, asserting that disconnecting from this scientific basis would threaten the integrity of the Paris climate agreement. A coalition statement articulated, “We owe it to everyone suffering the impacts of the climate crisis now, and to future generations, to make decisions about our planet’s future on the basis of the best evidence and knowledge available to us.”
The IPCC’s previous stocktake in 2023 criticized the inadequate response to climate change, prompting global leaders at the COP28 climate summit to urge a move away from fossil fuels, albeit with concessions to fossil fuel interests. For its upcoming report, designated as its seventh since 1990, the IPCC has proposed a timeline for publishing findings by 2028, but countries like China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and India argue this timeline is unreasonably hurried.
Concerns have arisen regarding the potential of these ongoing negotiations being the final opportunity to reach a consensus on completing the IPCC reports in time for the 2028 stocktake. An insider noted that current geopolitical pressures and the financial implications of climate impacts contribute to the discussions’ bitterness. The integration of new research findings will be crucial for policymakers formulating future climate strategies, as the IPCC cautions that the globe is on a trajectory to surpass the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the early 2030s.
Furthermore, the 39-nation Association of Small Island States, representing nations at risk of being submerged due to rising sea levels, has emphasized the need for timely completion of the IPCC’s reports. Ilana Seid, Chair of AOSIS, highlighted the critical nature of accessible climate science by stating, “Climate science must remain accessible and actionable for all. Our survival depends on it.”
The ongoing negotiations in Hangzhou underscore the urgency of addressing climate change as a collaborative global priority. Key issues include the alignment of the IPCC’s forthcoming report with the realities of climate data and the pressures faced by vulnerable nations. Achieving a consensus may be vital for ensuring that appropriate policies can be enacted before the 2028 UN climate stocktake, particularly against a backdrop of alarming warnings regarding rising global temperatures.
Original Source: www.france24.com
