Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change facts for kids
 |
|
| Abbreviation | IPCC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1988 |
| Type | Panel |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland |
|
Chair
|
Jim Skea |
|
Vice-Chair
|
Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Ramón Pichs Madruga, Ladislaus Chang'a |
|
Parent organization
|
World Meteorological Organization United Nations Environment Program |
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a special group within the United Nations. Its main job is to give governments scientific facts about climate change. This helps countries make good decisions about how to protect our planet.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) started the IPCC in 1988. The United Nations agreed to its creation later that year. The IPCC has its main office in Geneva, Switzerland. It has 195 member countries that guide its work.
These countries choose a group of scientists to lead the IPCC for about six or seven years. This group then picks experts from around the world to write IPCC reports. These reports look at all the scientific information about climate change. This includes how it affects nature, money, and people. It also looks at ways to deal with these changes.
The IPCC does not do its own new research. Instead, it carefully checks all the scientific studies that already exist. Thousands of scientists and experts volunteer their time to review these studies. They put the most important findings into "Assessment Reports." These reports are for leaders and everyone else to understand. Many people call this the biggest "peer review" process in science.
Top climate scientists and all member governments agree with the IPCC's findings. This shows that the IPCC is a trusted source of information on climate change. Governments, groups, and news outlets often use information from its reports. IPCC reports are very important for climate talks held every year by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). For example, the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report greatly influenced the important Paris Agreement in 2015. The IPCC also won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore for helping us understand climate change better.
The IPCC started its seventh cycle of reports in 2023. In August 2021, the IPCC released a big report on the science of climate change. News around the world said it was a "starkest warning yet" about "major inevitable and irreversible climate changes." In February 2022, another report came out about how climate change affects us and how we can adapt. A third report in April 2022 looked at ways to stop climate change. The final summary of these reports was published in March 2023.
During the time of the Sixth Assessment Report, the IPCC also released three special reports. One very important report in 2018 was about keeping global warming to 1.5°C. In 2019, two more reports came out. One was about climate change and land, and another was about the ocean and ice. The IPCC also updated its methods in 2019. This made the sixth cycle the busiest in the IPCC's history.
How the IPCC Started
Before the IPCC, there was a smaller group called the Advisory Group on Greenhouse Gases (AGGG). It was set up in 1986 by three organizations. This group looked at scientific research on greenhouse gases. But climate science was becoming much bigger and more complex. The small AGGG group didn't have enough resources to cover everything.
The United States wanted an international agreement to limit greenhouse gas pollution. But some worried that independent scientists might have too much power. So, the WMO and UNEP created the IPCC in 1988 as a group where governments and scientists work together. Scientists in the IPCC act as both experts and representatives for their countries.
The IPCC creates reports that are supported by leading scientists and agreed upon by all member governments. This means the IPCC is both a scientific group and a group of governments. Its job is to tell governments what scientists know about climate change. It also looks at the effects of climate change and how to deal with them. It does this by checking scientific studies that have been reviewed by other experts.
The United Nations officially supported the IPCC's creation in 1988. They noted that human actions could change the climate. This could lead to serious problems for money and society. They said that more greenhouse gases could make the planet warmer. This would cause sea levels to rise. They warned that if we didn't act quickly, the effects on people could be very bad.
How the IPCC Works
What the IPCC Does
The IPCC does not do its own new research. Instead, it creates full reports that summarize what we know about climate change. It also writes reports on specific climate topics. And it develops ways for countries to figure out their greenhouse gas emissions. Its reports build on earlier studies and scientific papers. Over six major reports, the IPCC has shown more and more evidence that our climate is changing. And it shows that this is because of human activities.
Important Rules and Guidelines
The IPCC has rules called "Principles Governing IPCC Work." These rules say that the IPCC will look at:
- The danger of climate change caused by people.
- Its possible impacts.
- Ways to prevent or reduce it.
IPCC reports must be fair, open, and complete. They must include all important scientific, technical, and economic information about climate change. IPCC reports do not tell governments what policies to make. But they do provide facts that can help governments make those decisions.
IPCC Structure
The IPCC has several parts that work together:
- IPCC Panel: This is the main decision-making body. It meets about twice a year. It decides on the IPCC's plans, rules, and money. It also approves the IPCC's reports.
- Chair: The Chair leads the IPCC and represents the organization. The current Chair is Jim Skea, who started in July 2023.
- Bureau: This group has 34 members from different parts of the world. They guide the IPCC's scientific and technical work.
- Working Groups: There are three main working groups, each with two leaders (one from a developed country, one from a developing country). They do the scientific work.
- Working Group I: Studies the science of the climate system and climate change.
- Working Group II: Looks at how climate change affects people and nature. It also studies ways to adapt.
- Working Group III: Focuses on how to stop climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This is called "mitigation."
- Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: This group creates methods for countries to measure their greenhouse gas emissions.
- Executive Committee: This group handles urgent issues that come up between the Panel's meetings.
- Secretariat: This is the IPCC's office staff. They manage activities and support the leaders.
How Reports Are Written
The IPCC does not do its own research. Instead, it reviews scientific papers and findings from other science groups. The IPCC sets a deadline for scientific papers to be included in a report. New information that comes out after this deadline will be in the next report. Each IPCC report points out how science has improved since the last report. It also suggests areas that need more research.
The IPCC's first major report came out in 1990. Since then, new reports have been published about every six years.
Choosing Authors
Governments and other groups suggest scientists and experts to the IPCC. The IPCC leaders then choose authors for the reports. They pick people based on their scientific knowledge, different viewpoints, and to make sure there's a good mix of people from different countries and genders. Authors can be researchers, people from businesses, or experts from non-profit groups.
The authors of IPCC reports look at all the available information about climate change from published sources. They mostly use studies that have been reviewed by other scientists. But they can also use other good quality reports, like those from government groups.
Authors write drafts of the reports, which are divided into chapters. They also write a short summary for experts and a "Summary for Policymakers."
Each chapter has many authors. There are lead authors who write sections and invite others to help with text or data. Review editors make sure that authors respond to comments from experts and governments.
The IPCC tries to have a wide range of views and expertise in its author teams. This means including experts from both developing and developed countries. They also try to have a balance of male and female authors. And they mix authors who have worked on past IPCC reports with new ones.
Scientists who work as authors for the IPCC do not get paid for this work. They volunteer their time. This work takes a lot of effort and can take away from their own research. More than 3,000 authors have helped write IPCC reports since it started.
Reviewing Reports
Experts review the drafts of the reports at different stages. These reviewers come from member governments and other groups that observe the IPCC. Anyone can become an IPCC reviewer if they have the right expertise.
There are usually three steps in the review process. First, experts review the first draft. Then, governments and experts review the updated draft and the first draft of the "Summary for Policymakers." The third step is when governments review the final "Summary for Policymakers." All review comments and how authors responded are kept online for at least five years. Finally, government representatives and authors review the "Summary for Policymakers" line by line. They make sure it accurately summarizes the full report.
Key Findings and Impact
Main Assessment Reports (1990 to 2014)
- The First Assessment Report (FAR) came out in 1990. It gave a general overview of climate change science. It said that greenhouse gases are increasing because of human activity. This is making the Earth warmer. This report led to the creation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
- The Second Assessment Report (SAR) was published in 1995. It said there was clear evidence that humans were affecting the global climate. This report was important for the talks that led to the Kyoto Protocol.
- The Third Assessment Report (TAR) was finished in 2001. It found more evidence that most of the warming over the past 50 years was due to human activity. The report included a famous graph showing how global temperature has risen sharply recently, often called the "hockey stick" graph.
- The Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) was published in 2007. It was much more certain about climate change, stating: "Warming of the climate system is unequivocal..." This report helped people around the world become more aware of climate change. The IPCC won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for this work.
- The Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) was published in 2013 and 2014. It again confirmed climate change and warned of serious risks. It also stressed that we have ways to fight climate change. Key findings included: human influence on the climate is clear; more disruption means more severe impacts; and we have the tools for a better, sustainable future. This report's findings were the scientific basis for the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Sixth Assessment Report (2021/2022)
The IPCC's most recent major report is the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). The first parts came out in 2021 and 2022. The final summary report was completed in March 2023.
The report published in August 2021 confirmed that the climate is already changing everywhere. Many of these changes haven't been seen in thousands of years. Some, like sea-level rise, cannot be reversed for hundreds of thousands of years. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions would limit climate change. But it could take 20–30 years for the climate to become stable. This report got a lot of attention from news and the public. The U.N. Secretary-General called it "code red for humanity."
The report published in February 2022 said that climate change from human activities is already affecting billions of people. It is harming nature. The world faces unavoidable dangers in the next two decades, even if warming is limited to 1.5°C.
The report published in April 2022 stated that it will be impossible to limit warming to 1.5°C without immediate and big cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. But it also said it is still possible to cut emissions in half by 2050.
Other Important Reports
Special Reports
The IPCC also publishes "Special Reports" on specific topics. These topics are suggested by governments or other groups. Between 1994 and 2019, the IPCC published 14 special reports. Often, more than one working group works together on these reports. The way they are prepared and approved is similar to the main assessment reports.
Special Reports in 2011
In 2011, the IPCC released a Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation. This report looked at how different types of renewable energy could replace fossil fuels. It noted that the cost of most renewable technologies had dropped and would likely fall more. It said renewables could help more people get energy. The report showed that in many possible futures, renewables could provide more than 27% of the world's energy by mid-century. In the best cases, they could provide 77% by 2050.
Later in 2011, the IPCC released another Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters. This was the first time two IPCC working groups worked together on a special report. It showed how climate change has led to changes in extreme weather. It also showed how planning for and preparing for extreme weather can reduce its impact. And how responding well to events can make societies stronger.
Special Reports 2018–2019
During the sixth assessment cycle, the IPCC produced three special reports. This made it the busiest cycle in IPCC history. The UNFCCC aimed to keep global warming well below 2°C, trying for 1.5°C, when it made the Paris Agreement in 2015. But at that time, not much was known about what 1.5°C warming really meant. There wasn't much science explaining how the impacts of 1.5°C would be different from 2°C. So, the UNFCCC asked the IPCC to prepare a report on global warming of 1.5°C.
The IPCC released the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C (SR15) in 2018. The report showed that it was possible to keep warming below 1.5°C this century. But this would mean big cuts in pollution. It would also mean fast, wide-ranging changes in all parts of society. The report showed that 2°C of warming would have much worse impacts than 1.5°C. This means every bit of warming matters. SR15 had a huge impact on news and the public. It made the 1.5°C target a central point for climate activism.
In 2019, the IPCC released two more special reports. The Special Report on Climate Change and Land looked at how we use land and how it affects the climate. It focused on pollution from farming and forests, not just energy. It also looked at how climate change affects land. The report found that climate change is adding pressure to the land we use for living and growing food. It said that to keep warming well below 2°C, we must reduce pollution from all areas, including land and food.
The Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate looked at how the ocean and frozen parts of the planet (like ice sheets and glaciers) are changing with the climate. This report highlighted the need to deal with big changes in the ocean and ice. It also showed how adapting could help with sustainable development.
Methodology Reports
The IPCC has a program that helps countries measure their greenhouse gas emissions. This program develops methods and software for countries to report their pollution.
Guidelines for Measuring Emissions
The IPCC released its first guide for measuring emissions in 1994. It updated this guide in 1996. Two other reports helped complete these guidelines. Countries use these guides to report their yearly emissions.
In 2006, the IPCC updated these methods again. They included many "default emission factors." These are factors to estimate how much pollution comes from an activity. The UNFCCC asked the IPCC for this new version. The UNFCCC accepted them for use at its 2013 Climate Change Conference. The IPCC added more material in 2019.
The IPCC is now preparing a new report on short-lived climate pollutants. This report will be finished in the next assessment cycle.
Awards and Recognition
Support from Science Groups
IPCC reports are seen as the standard for climate science. Many science groups around the world support the IPCC. They have made official statements that agree with the IPCC's findings. For example:
- For the Third Assessment Report in 2001, groups like the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences and the United States National Research Council showed their support.
- For the Fourth Assessment Report in 2007, groups like the International Council for Science also supported the findings.
Nobel Peace Prize in 2007
In December 2007, the IPCC received the Nobel Peace Prize. They won it "for their efforts to build up and spread greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change." They shared the award with former U.S. Vice-president Al Gore for his work on climate change and his documentary An Inconvenient Truth.
Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity in 2022
In October 2022, the IPCC and another group called IPBES shared the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity. These two groups won the prize because they "produce scientific knowledge, alert society, and inform decision-makers to make better choices for fighting climate change and the loss of biodiversity."
Images for kids
-
Page counts of the six IPCC Assessment Reports (1990 to 2021)
See also
In Spanish: Grupo Intergubernamental de Expertos sobre el Cambio Climático para niños
- Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
- Second Austrian Assessment Report on Climate Change
