The IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report: What You Need to Know

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international body for assessing the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and potential future risks, and possible response options. The IPCC produces comprehensive assessment reports every six to seven years that synthesize the latest knowledge on climate change from thousands of peer-reviewed publications.

The IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) consists of four parts: three Working Group reports and a Synthesis Report. The Working Group reports cover the physical science basis of climate change (WG I), the impacts, adaptation and vulnerability to climate change (WG II), and the mitigation of climate change (WG III). The Synthesis Report integrates the findings of the Working Group reports and provides policymakers with a concise and accessible summary of the current state of knowledge and action options on climate change.

The AR6 Synthesis Report was finalized in March 2023, following the approval of the Summary for Policymakers by the IPCC member governments. The Summary for Policymakers contains headline statements that capture the main messages of the report. Here are some of the key points from the headline statements:

- Human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching 1.1°C above 1850–1900 in 2011–2020.

- Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred. Human-caused climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. This has led to widespread adverse impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people.

- Adaptation planning and implementation has progressed across all sectors and regions, with documented benefits and varying effectiveness. Despite progress, adaptation gaps exist, and will continue to grow at current rates of implementation. Current global financial flows for adaptation are insufficient for, and constrain implementation of, adaptation options, especially in developing countries.

- Policies and laws addressing mitigation have consistently expanded since AR5. Global GHG emissions in 2030 implied by nationally determined contributions (NDCs) announced by October 2021 make it likely that warming will exceed 1.5°C during the 21st century and make it harder to limit warming below 2°C.

- Continued greenhouse gas emissions will lead to increasing global warming, with the best estimate of reaching 1.5°C in the near term in considered scenarios and modelled pathways. Every increment of global warming will intensify multiple and concurrent hazards.

- Deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions would lead to a discernible slowdown in global warming within around two decades, and also to discernible changes in atmospheric composition within a few years.

- Climate resilient development integrates adaptation and mitigation to advance sustainable development for all, and is enabled by increased international cooperation including improved access to adequate financial resources, particularly for vulnerable regions, sectors and groups, and inclusive governance and coordinated policies.

The AR6 Synthesis Report provides a clear and urgent call for action on climate change. It shows that human influence on the climate system is undeniable, that the impacts are widespread and severe, and that there are still opportunities to limit warming and build a more resilient future. The report also highlights the need for enhanced cooperation among all actors at all levels to address the complex and interrelated challenges posed by climate change.


The full report is available online at https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/.


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