Focus on Arts and Ecology

7 August 2024 

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Discussions were complex, with delegates expressing “diverse and sometimes opposing views and priorities on key issues”.

Intensive discussions and, in some cases, multiple rounds of revisions were necessary to reconcile these preferences.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) achieved consensus on the outlines of reports on cities and climate change and on short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs). Unable to reach agreement on the Strategic Planning Schedule for its seventh assessment cycle (AR7), the Panel decided to defer its further consideration to the next meeting.

At its 61st session, the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary report of the meeting notes, the Panel had the task of, in the words of IPCC Chair Jim Skea, “lay[ing] down the critically important building blocks” for AR7. Discussions were complex, with delegates expressing “diverse and sometimes opposing views and priorities on key issues.” Intensive discussions and, in some cases, multiple rounds of revisions were necessary to reconcile these preferences. Ultimately, these led to agreement on the outlines for a Special Report on Cities and Climate Change and a methodological report on SLCFs, which, the ENB analysis indicates, refer to “gases and aerosol particles that contribute to anthropogenic global warming but [unlike, for example, carbon dioxide (CO2)] are not persistent in the atmosphere.”

Views diverged on whether and how the three Working Group report would feed into the second Global Stocktake (GST-2) under the UNFCCC. While the decision to defer further consideration of the Strategic Planning Schedule disappointed many, the ENB points out it is in line with the IPCC’s Principles and Procedures and past practice.

The ENB further notes that with this agreement, the Panel “was able to conclude its meeting on schedule.” This is an important achievement as it made the IPCC’s work more inclusive by ensuring that “all delegations – particularly small delegations from developing countries, many of whom have missed out crucial discussions that took place when previous sessions significantly concluded late, were able to participate in full.”

Calls for improvements in inclusivity permeated the Panel’s deliberations throughout the meeting, ranging from “fundamentals – such as ensuring access to visas for experts and delegates – to high-level questions related to the timeline for delivery of the IPCC’s outputs for [AR7].” “While there was a clear consensus that enhancing inclusivity is a priority for the Panel,” the ENB notes, “discussions revealed different perspectives on how best to achieve this crucial objective.”

IPCC-61 convened in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 27 July to 2 August 2024. It was preceded by a pre-plenary briefing for delegates on 26 July. [ENB Coverage of IPCC-61]

(Sources: International Institute for Sustainable Development)