Secretariat
Geneva, Switzerland
• Established in 1988 - by WMO + UNEP -
195 members countries
• Aim - To provide governments with
scientific information - to develop climate
policies
• IPCC does not conduct its own research -
Scientists publish scientific assessments
which are transparently reviewed by
experts & governments
Working of IPCC
• Objective - Providing scientific, technical and socio-
economic information relevant to the understanding of
climate change
• The Process - by assessing published literature by scientists
and climate science experts in an Assessment cycle — So
far 6 Assessment Cycles
• 3 Assessment Reports - each from 3 Working
Groups
• 1 Synthesis Report
• Special Reports - if any on assessing specific issues
• Methodology reports - guidelines for preparing GHG
inventories under UNFCCC
Timeline of IPCC Reports
• 1992 - First Assessment Report - Led to Creation of UNFCCC
• 1995 - Second Assessment Report - Human emission major cause for Rising Temperatures
• Scientific underpinning for Kyoto Protocol
• 2001 - Third Assessment Report - Rising socioeconomic costs due to warming
• Identified that - 5 Tipping Points will be crossed by 2022
• Sea level rise of 80cm by 2100
• 2007 - Fourth Assessment Report - Highest CO2 concentration of 379 ppm in 2005
• 2007 - Nobel Prize for IPCC
• 2014 - Fifth Assessment Report - Adaptation can reduce the risk of Climate change
• More heatwaves, Species Extinction, etc
• Scientific basis for Paris Agreement
6th Assessment Report
Scientific Basis Vulnerability Mitigation
1st Report
• Global Net zero by 2050 - required to keep the
temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius
• Earth will cross 1.5 °C over pre-industrial levels in
the next 20 years (By 2040)
• CO Concentrations - highest in at least two million
2
years
• Increased hot extremes, extreme precipitation and
drought
• SST over Indian ocean - to increase by 1 to 2 °C
2nd Report
• 45% of Global population in Vulnerability
• India - one of the Vulnerable hotspots - floods, sea
level rise, heat waves etc
• Cascading risks & Disasters
• Coupled Systems - Climate, biodiversity & human
society
• Increasing prevalence of Vector borne diseases
• Adaptation is unevenly distributed
3rd Report
• GHG emissions - 59 Gigatonnes of carbon dioxide
equivalent (GtCO e)
2
• Carbon inequality exists - LDCs emit only 3.3% of
global emissions in 2019
• 41% of the world’s population - in countries
with less than 3 tCO2e per capita in 2019
• As per NDCs — it is likely that warming will exceed
1.5 degrees Celsius (°C) in this century - Failure of
Paris Agreement
• C1 Pathway - outlined by IPCC as the
best case scenario
• What the world needs to do to limit
temperatures to 1.5°C?
• Overshoot - global temperatures crossing
the 1.5°C threshold temporarily
• For C1 pathway —
• Global GHG emissions must fall by
43% by 2030
Special Reports by IPCC
SROCC
• Ocean Warming — 90% of excess heat sink in Oceans
• Marine Heatwaves doubled since 1982
• Ocean Deoxygenation - Dead Zones
• Ocean Acidification
• Sea Level rise - Glacier Melting + Thermal Expansion
• Estimate - 1.1 metres by 2100 if not adhering to
2 degree celsius in Paris Agreement
• Cryosphere - Arctic > Himalayas > Antartica
• Permafrost thawing & GHG release
Synthesis Report 2023
• Integrates the reports of the 6th assessment cycle
• Human induced global warming of 1.1 degree
celsius has resulted in extreme weather events
• Need for More finance
• Increasing maladaptation
• 50% chance that global temperature rise will
reach or surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius between
2021 and 2040
UNFCCC
• International Environmental treaty under United Nations
• Signed in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit
• Entered into force in 1994
• Membership - 198 countries ratified
• Secretariat — Bonn, Germany
• Article 2 - stabilise GHGs to prevent interference in climate
• Framework Convention for negotiating Protocols/treaties —
• Kyoto Protocol (1997), Paris Agreement (2015)
• UNFCCC in itself is legally non-binding & does not set any
binding limits
• COP - apex decision making body - meets Annually
• COP 1 - Berlin - Berlin Mandate which calls establish
legally binding targets for reducing GHGs
Major COPs
1995 - COP 1 - Berlin - Berlin mandate calling for establishing legally binding GHG reduction targets
1997 - COP 3 - Kyoto,Japan - Legally Binding Targets for Annex 1 countries
2001 - COP 7 - Marrakech - Marrakech Accords - adopting rulebook for KP implementation
2002 - COP 8 - New Delhi - New Delhi Working programme on Article 6 of UNFCCC
2005 - COP 11 - Montreal - Ratification of Kyoto Protocol + 1st CMP held
2006 - COP 12 - Kenya - Clean Development Mechanism opens for Business
2007 - COP 13 - Bali - Bali Road Map + Reviewing GEF and going beyond it - Launch of Adaptation Fund
2008 - COP 14 - Poznan - 1st meeting of Adaptation Fund board
2009 - COP 15 - Copenhagen - Copenhagen Accord - goal of limiting max global avg temperature by 2
degree celsius - subject to review in 2015 + US$ 100 billion a year by 2020 agreed by developed countries
Major COPs
2010 - COP 16 - Cancun - Agreement to 2 degree celsius limit + Agreement to establish Green
Climate Fund + Inclusion of CCUS under CDM
2011 - COP 17 - Durban - Approval for Green Climate Fund + 2nd phase of Kyoto protocol secured +
decision to adopt a universal climate change agreement before 2015
2012 - COP 18 - Doha - 2nd Commitment period of Kyoto Protocol (till 2020)
2013 - COP 19 - Warsaw - Coining of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions + Warsaw
mechanism for Loss & damage
2014 - COP 20 - Lima - Parties to take national pledges on INDCs before November 2015 - Paris
2015- COP 21 - PARIS
2016- COP 22 - Marrakech - Agriculture COP
2021 - COP 26 - Glasgow
2022 - COP 27 - Sharm El Sheikh
Kyoto Protocol - COP 3
• Adopted in COP 3 (1997) in Japan - entered into force in
COP 11 (2005) in Montreal
• Only global treaty with binding limits on GHG Emissions
• Only binds Developed countries - Annex B parties
• Principle of Common but differentiated responsibilities
• Cut GHG emissions by 5% by 2012 from 1990 levels
• Target gases - CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, SF6
• Commitments —
• 1st Commitment period - 2008 to 2012
• Doha Amendment - 2nd Commitment - 2012 to 2020
• 192 Parties - India ratified in 2002
• USA never ratified - Canada withdrew in 2012
Classification of Parties
• Annex 1 - Industrialised countries who were members of OECD + Economies in Transition
• Annex 2 - OECD members of Annex 1 excluding EITs
• Required to provide financial resources to developed countries in assisting emission
reduction
• May also help EITs through transfer of technologies
• Non Annex - Mostly developing countries + countries vulnerable to climate change
• Annex B - Annex 1 countries that have 1st or 2nd round Kyoto reduction targets
• LDCs - Least developed countries - 49 parties given special emphasis by UN
Doha Amendment - COP 18
• 2nd Commitment Period - 2012 to 2020
• Target - 18% reduction compared to 1990 levels
• Failure to achieve the target - Withdrawal of Canada, Many countries like Japan, Russia etc
did not take new targets
• To enter into force - need acceptance of 144 countries
• Entered into force on Dec 31 2020
Warsaw - COP 19 - 2013
• Coining of term - Intended Nationally Determined Contributions - INDC
• Agreed on a mechanism to address loss and damage caused by long-term
climate change impacts
PARIS AGREEMENT
• Adopted on 2015 - COP 21 @ Paris - a legally binding international
treaty on climate change
• Adopted by 195 countries ratified - limit global warming to well
below 2° C, and preferably limit it to 1.5° C
• Reaffirmation of US$ 100 billion a year - continuation unto 2025
Key Aspects
• Article 2 - Long term temperature Goal
• Article 4 - Global Peaking & Climate neutrality by
2050
• Article 4 - Mitigation through NDCs - binding
• Article 5 - Sinks & reservoirs of Carbon
• Article 6 - Voluntary cooperation between parties
- market or non-market based approaches
• Article 7 - Adaptation
• Article 8 - Loss & Damage
• Article 14 - Global Stocktake every 5 years
starting from 2023
• Article 14 of Paris Agreement - taking stock of the
implementation of the Paris Agreement
• To assess the world’s collective progress
towards achieving the purpose of the
agreement and its long-term goals
• 1st stocktake got underway in COP26 in Glasgow -
Conclude at COP 28 - 2023 - UAE
• Each stocktake — 2 year process + 5 Year
Cycle
• Launched by UNFCCC Secretariat in 2015
• Aim - Climate neutrality by 2050
• To promote the voluntary use of carbon market mechanisms
recognized under the Convention
• 1st meeting of Paris Agreement - CMA 1
• Also called - Agriculture COP
• Adaptation of African Agriculture - climate-
proof agriculture in Africa by bolstering
sustainable, soil management, enhanced water
management, and risk mitigation strategies
• Global Framework on Water scarcity
Glasgow, UK
• CMP 16 & CMA 3 - Adoption of Glasgow Climate Pact by 197
countries
• Recognition of IPCC reports - Limit the temperature rise
below 1.5° C
• Net zero by 2050
• Phasing down coal - not phasing out
• Glasgow Dialogue - discuss upon funding for loss &
Damage
• Allowed unused carbon credits to meet NDC target unto
2025
• Operationalisation of Santiago Network
• Reaffirms US$ 100 Billion every year unto 2025
• Finalisation of Paris rulebook
• Other Parallel Initiatives Launched —
• India - PANCHAMRIT & Mission LiFE
• Glasgow Breakthrough Agenda - 42 countries ( India is a part) - accelerating
development and deployement of clean technologies
• Major Positive outcomes—
• Loss & Damage Fund - fund to provide financial assistance to poor nations stricken by
climate disaster
• On 1.5°C Temperature Limit - ‘Ratchet Mechanism’
• Increasing focus on methane emissions
• Fossil fuels - a commitment to phase down the use of coal was agreed
• Launched by G7 & Vulnerable 20 Group of Finance
Ministers V20
• Initiated by Germany during G7 summit in 2022
• Officially launched at COP 27 of UNFCCC
• Aim: Pre-arranged financial support designed to be
quickly deployed in times of climate disasters
• Making vulnerable economies Resilient
• Pathfinder Countries - First recipients of Global
Shield Packages - Bangladesh, Ghana, Pakistan etc
Mangrove Alliance for Climate
▪ Announced by UAE & Indonesia @
COP27 of UNFCCC
▪ Intergovernmental alliance -
Educate and spread awareness
worldwide on the role of mangroves
in curbing Global warming
▪ Members - UAE, Indonesia, India, Sri
Lanka, Australia, Japan, and Spain
▪ Works in Voluntary Basis
Global Goal on Adaptation
• 2015 Paris Agreement - Article 7
• Enhancing adaptive capacity
• Strengthening resilience and reducing
vulnerability to climate change