IPCC distributes final draft on pathways to tackle climate change

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has distributed the final draft of the Working Group III contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report to governments

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has distributed the final draft of the Working Group III contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) to governments.

The final draft of the "Summary for Policymakers" has also been distributed for further review by governments. This is one of the final stages of preparations before IPCC member countries will consider the report in a two-week plenary next year.

"Our scientists have worked tirelessly to deliver this report thorough a robust assessment of scientific evidence. The report will inform policymakers world-wide about pathways to solutions and opportunities available to us to tackle climate change," said Jim Skea, Co-Chair of Working Group III.

The review of the "Summary for Policymakers", running to January 30, 2022, provides governments with the opportunity to check whether the draft "Summary for Policymakers" reflects the underlying evidence laid out in the Working Group III report.

Working Group III is responsible for assessing the mitigation of climate change -- responses and solutions to the threat of dangerous climate change by reducing emissions and enhancing sinks of the greenhouse gases that are responsible for global warming.

During the government review of the Summary for Policymakers, Working Group III is planning a series of webinars on different aspects of the report with government representatives to inform them as they prepare their written comments.

This will also help authors identify issues and receive informal feedback from governments. Authors will present key concepts of the report and how they are treated in the Summary for Policymakers, including in figures, and how the summarised elements are grounded in the detailed underlying assessment.

The Working Group III report is the third installment of the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report, which will be completed in 2022.

In August, the IPCC released the approved Working Group I report which assessed the physical science, showing that climate change is widespread, rapid and intensifying.

The Working Group II report, which looks at climate impacts and adaptation, will be considered at an approval session in early 2022, prior to the consideration of the Working Group III report.

"These interactive webinars will be a critical support activity during the Summary for Policymakers review process, allowing an informal exchange between governments and our authors. This will ensure clarity and will strengthen the text prior to the approval session," said Priyadarshi Shukla, Co-Chair of Working Group III.

The authors of the Working Group III report have already addressed more than 16,000 comments provided by expert reviewers of the report's First-Order Draft.

In the subsequent Second-Order Draft stage they went through over 51,000 additional comments from expert reviewers and 41 governments.

The fortnight-long government approval session for the Working Group III report is scheduled for the end of the first quarter of 2022.

--IANS

vg/shs