IPCC42 Earth Negotiations Bulletin FINAL . A Reporting Service for Environment and Development Negotiations Online at http://www.iisd.ca/climate/ipcc42/ Vol. 12 No. 645 Published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Sunday, 11 October 2015 SUMMARY OF THE 42ND SESSION OF THE for limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigating IPCC: 5-8 OCTOBER 2015 climate change. Each WG has two Co-Chairs and six Vice- Chairs, except, for the fifth assessment cycle WGIII had three The 42nd session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Co-Chairs. The Co-Chairs guide the WGs in fulfilling the Change (IPCC-42) convened from 5-8 October 2015, in mandates given to them by the Panel and are assisted in this task Dubrovnik, Croatia, and brought together 424 delegates from by Technical Support Units (TSUs). 136 countries. The main focus of the meeting was the election The IPCC also has a Task Force on National Greenhouse of members of the IPCC Bureau and the Task Force Bureau Gas Inventories (TFI) to oversee the IPCC National GHG (TFB), including the IPCC Chair, IPCC Vice-Chairs, Co-Chairs Inventories Programme, also supported by a TSU. The of the Working Groups (WGs) and TFB, Vice-Chairs of the WGs Programme aims to develop and refine an internationally-agreed and TFB members. An informal session, hosted by the Croatian methodology and software for the calculation and reporting of Government provided the candidates for IPCC Chair with a national GHG emissions and removals, and encourage its use by forum to present themselves to delegates. The Panel elected parties to the UNFCCC. Hoesung Lee (Republic of Korea) as IPCC Chair for the sixth The Panel elects its Bureau for the duration of a full assessment cycle. assessment cycle, which lasts between five and seven years Also on the agenda of IPCC-42 was: approval of the draft and includes the preparation of an IPCC assessment report. The report of IPCC-41; the IPCC programme and budget; reports Bureau’s role is to assist the IPCC Chair in planning, on IPCC activities and intersessional meetings, workshops coordinating and monitoring the IPCC’s work, and is composed and clinics; procedural matters relating to the election; of climate change experts representing all regions. Currently, the implementation of the IPCC Error Protocol; matters related to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); and special reports (SRs). IN THIS ISSUE The session was chaired by Acting IPCC Chair Ismail El Gizouli, who was appointed following the resignation of IPCC A Brief History of the IPCC ........................1 Chair Pachauri just before IPCC-41 in February, pending the election of a new Chair at IPCC-42. IPCC-42 Report ..................................3 Approval of the Draft Report of the 41st Session .....3 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE IPCC IPCC Programme and Budget .....................3 The IPCC was established in 1988 by the World Admission of Observer Organizations ..............4 Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Reports ......................................4 Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to assess, on a Procedural Matters .............................5 comprehensive, objective, open and transparent basis, the Election of Members of the IPCC Bureau and the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant Task Force Bureau ..............................6 to understanding human-induced climate change, its potential Implementation of the IPCC Error Protocol ..........8 impacts, and options for adaptation and mitigation. The IPCC Matters Related to the UNFCCC and Other Bodies. .8 is an intergovernmental and scientific body with 195 country Other Matters. .8 members. It does not undertake new research, nor does it Place and Date for IPCC-43 ......................8 monitor climate-related data. Instead, it conducts assessments Closing of the Session ...........................8 of knowledge on the basis of published and peer-reviewed scientific and technical literature. IPCC reports are intended to A Brief Analysis of IPCC-42 ........................9 be policy relevant but not policy prescriptive. The IPCC has three WGs: Working Group I (WGI) addresses Upcoming Meetings ..............................10 the physical science basis of climate change; Working Group II (WGII) addresses climate change impacts, adaptation and Glossary .......................................10 vulnerability; and Working Group III (WGIII) addresses options This issue of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin © <[email protected]> is written and edited by Deborah Davenport, Ph.D., Maria Gutierrez, Ph.D, and Anna Schulz. The Digital Editor is Kiara Worth. The Editors are Leila Mead and Pamela Chasek, Ph.D. <[email protected]>. The Director of IISD Reporting Services is Langston James “Kimo” Goree VI <[email protected]>. The Sustaining Donors of the Bulletin are the European Union, the Government of Switzerland (the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC)), and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. General Support for the Bulletin during 2015 is provided by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, SWAN International, the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Japanese Ministry of Environment (through the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies - IGES), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The opinions expressed in the Bulletin are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IISD or other donors. Excerpts from the Bulletin may be used in non-commercial publications with appropriate academic citation. For information on the Bulletin, including requests to provide reporting services, contact the Director of IISD Reporting Services at <[email protected]>, +1-646-536-7556 or 300 East 56th St., 11D, New York, NY 10022 USA. http://enb.iisd.mobi/ Earth Negotiations Bulletin Sunday, 11 October 2015 . Vol. 12 No. 645 Page 2 Bureau comprises 34 members, having expanded from 31 as of new scenarios in AR5, the Panel extended the timeframe of the the elections held at this session (IPCC-42) per a decision taken cycle from five to seven years, requesting the IPCC Bureau to at IPCC-41, and includes the IPCC Chair and Vice-Chairs, the ensure delivery of the WGI report by early 2013 and completion WG Co-Chairs and Vice-Chairs, and the TFI Co-Chairs and its of the other WG reports and the SYR in 2014. members. In 2011, the IPCC established an Executive Committee IPCC-29: This session (31 August – 4 September 2008, (ExComm) to assist with intersessional work and coordination Geneva, Switzerland) commemorated the IPCC’s 20th among the WGs. The ExComm consists of the IPCC Chair, IPCC anniversary. The Panel elected the new IPCC Bureau, and Vice-Chairs, WG and TFI Co-Chairs, and advisory members, reelected Rajendra Pachauri (India) as Chair. The Panel also including the Head of the IPCC Secretariat and the four Heads continued discussions on the future of the IPCC and agreed to of the TSUs. The IPCC Secretariat is located in Geneva, create a scholarship fund for young climate change scientists Switzerland, and is hosted by the WMO. from developing countries with the funds from the Nobel Peace IPCC PRODUCTS: Since its inception, the IPCC has Prize. prepared a series of comprehensive assessment reports, special IPCC-30: During this session (21-23 April 2009, Antalya, reports and technical papers that provide scientific information Turkey), the Panel focused mainly on the near-term future of the on climate change to the international community and are subject IPCC and provided guidance for an AR5 scoping meeting, which to extensive review by experts and governments. was held in Venice, Italy, from 13-17 July 2009. The IPCC’s First Assessment Report was completed in 1990; IPCC-31: This session (26-29 October 2009, Bali, Indonesia) the Second Assessment Report in 1995; the Third Assessment approved the proposed AR5 chapter outlines. The Panel also Report in 2001; the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) in 2007; considered progress on implementing decisions taken at IPCC- and the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) in 2014. Currently, 30 regarding the involvement of scientists from developing the assessment reports are structured in three parts, one for countries and countries with economies in transition, use of each WG. Each WG’s contribution comprises a Summary for electronic technologies, and the longer-term future of the IPCC. Policymakers (SPM), a Technical Summary and an underlying INTERACADEMY COUNCIL (IAC) REVIEW: In assessment report. The sections of each report undergo an response to public criticism of the IPCC related to inaccuracies intensive review process, which takes place in three stages: in AR4 and the Panel’s response to the criticism, UN Secretary- a first review by experts; a second review by experts and General Ban Ki-moon and IPCC Chair Pachauri requested the governments; and a third review by governments. Each SPM is IAC to conduct an independent review of IPCC processes and then approved line by line by the respective WG. A Synthesis procedures and to present recommendations to strengthen the Report (SYR) is then produced for the assessment report as a IPCC and to ensure the quality of its reports. whole, which highlights the most relevant aspects of the three The IAC presented its results in a report in August 2010 WG reports,