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Outcomes of the Sixty-First Session of the IPCC
Purpose
1. This aide memoire gives you detail on the outcomes of the Sixty-First Session of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) held 27 July – 2 August 2024 in
Sofia, Bulgaria.
2. This is the second Plenary of the Seventh Assessment cycle (AR7). The AR7
commenced in July 2023 and is expected to reach conclusion with publication of the
Synthesis Report by late 2029.
3. At the Session, the 195 member governments (the Panel) were invited to agree to the
draft outlines of the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities and Methodology
Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers, agree to the Strategic Planning
Schedule (timing for the delivery of reports), and discuss options for expert meetings
and workshops.
Background
4. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Reports are
written periodically, every five to seven years. The IPCC does not conduct its own
research but aims to provide a comprehensive summary of climate science literature
through the delivery of Special Reports (SR), Methodology Reports (MR), and three
Working Group (WG) Assessment Reports:
• WGI: The Physical Science Basis
• WGII: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
• WGIII: Mitigation of Climate Change.
5. Reports are then accepted by the Panel, making them a key input into international
climate negotiations and an authoritative tool to underpin government policy making.
6. The Seventh Assessment cycle (AR7) is significantly more political than previous
cycles. The value of the IPCC to Governments, intergovernmental processes, and
stakeholders is that it is an agreed, robust, and comprehensive assessor of the state
of climate science. For this reason, political neutrality is key to the function and utility
of the IPCC.
7. The following political nuances are of note:
• In the Sixtieth Session of the IPCC, the greatest division occurred over which
products would be provided in time for the second Global Stocktake (GST2) in
2028. Some countries, namely 6(a)
, provided
significant pushback on publishing the WGI I report in time for the
GST2. Other countries, 6(a)
, stated that an
advanced timeline would limit the ability for developing countries to equitably
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participate. Due to lack of consensus, the Panel requested the IPCC Bureau
develop a Strategic Planning Schedule and associated timeline to bring to the
next Plenary.
• Consensus was also not reached at this Plenary, although it is worth noting
that there was considerably less division on the timeline, 6(a)
supporting the timeline provided by the IPCC Bureau which would provide all
reports in time for the GST2. The timeline wil now be agreed to alongside the
outlines for the WG Assessment Reports at the Sixty-Second Session of the
IPCC.
• The development of a methodology for hydrogen as part of the MR on
Inventories for Short Lived Climate Forcers received significant pushback from
some countries, 6(a)
Agreement was
reached by limiting its inclusion to an appendix. Noting, that the inclusion of a
methodology does not mean countries are required to report on it, which is
agreed to under UNFCCC processes, but can choose to if they wish.
• The SR on Climate Change and Cities will be the only SR produced under the
AR7, therefore agreement on an outline that caters to al Parties needs was a
complex and time-consuming process. For context, the Sixth Assessment
Cycle produced three SRs. New Zealand supported the original outline of the
SR on Climate Change and Cities provided by experts.
8. A meeting was held with attendees from New Zealand, Australia, Kiribati, Solomon
Islands, Samoa, and Cook Islands. New Zealand is working closely with its IPCC
colleagues in the Pacific to facilitate engagement and capacity building.
Next steps
1. The Sixty-Second Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
is anticipated to take place in China during February 2025. At this Session the Panel
wil likely agree to the Assessment Report draft outlines and timelines, including what
reports wil be available in time for the second Global Stocktake (GST2). As well as
this, the draft outline for the MR on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies and
Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage wil be agreed upon.
2. The Global Stocktake (GST) is the mechanism in the Paris Agreement to take stock
of collective progress, based on the best available science, and influence action by
Parties. 6(a)
3. 9(2)(j)
4. A call for authors has been received from the IPCC following agreement on the
outlines for the SR on Climate Change and Cities and MR on Inventories for Short
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Lived Climate Forcers. We expect significant interest from New Zealand experts and
wil provide nominations to the IPCC accordingly.
5. New Zealand experts have been nominated to participate in the Scoping Meeting for
the MR on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies and Carbon Capture Utilization
and Storage, tentatively scheduled for the second half of October 2024. The aim of
this report is to develop methodologies for consideration in national greenhouse gas
inventories.
6. New Zealand experts wil participate in the Scoping Meeting for the WG Assessment
Reports in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during December 2024.
Signatures
Jonathan Ryan
General Manager
Evidence/Data and Insights
12 August 2024
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