IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)

The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) is the United Nations body responsible for assessing the science related to climate change. Established in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), its role is to provide governments with rigorous, transparent assessments of the causes, impacts and risks of climate change and of the options for mitigation and adaptation.

What the IPCC does

The IPCC does not carry out its own research or monitor climate data. Instead, it objectively assesses the scientific, technical and socio-economic literature produced by thousands of researchers worldwide. Its work focuses on:

• Evaluating the current state of knowledge on climate change.
• Identifying global and regional impacts and vulnerabilities.
• Setting out options for mitigation and adaptation.

IPCC reports and working groups

The IPCC publishes comprehensive Assessment Reports roughly every five to seven years, organised into three working groups:

• Working Group I: the physical science basis.
• Working Group II: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability.
• Working Group III: mitigation of climate change.

The Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), published between 2021 and 2023, concluded that it is unequivocal that human activity has warmed the planet, with global surface temperature around 1.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and stressed the urgency of action to keep warming close to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The IPCC is now working on its Seventh Assessment Report (AR7), whose main reports are expected from around 2028, alongside a Special Report on Climate Change and Cities.

Why the IPCC matters for climate policy

IPCC findings are the scientific reference for international climate policy, including the Paris Agreement (2015), the annual COP negotiations, and national decarbonisation policies. Because its reports are approved line by line by its 195 member governments, they carry exceptional scientific and political legitimacy.

The science assessed by the IPCC is what underpins corporate climate targets and frameworks such as science-based targets. At Manglai we help companies turn climate science into action by measuring their carbon footprint and building credible reduction plans. Discover how Manglai can help you.