IPCC Meeting Suspended Amid Dispute Over Climate Review Timeline

By Sudarshan Varadhan

Oct 16 (Reuters) — A meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was suspended on Friday without agreement on a timeline for publishing its next major review of climate science, the organization announced.

The deadlock, which has persisted for nearly three years, risks leaving nations to advance climate policies without consensus on pivotal issues, such as the potential reversibility of global warming.

The session was adjourned after exceeding its scheduled timeframe, as many delegates from least-developed countries and small island states were forced to depart, according to an IPCC statement.

Establishing publication dates for the upcoming scientific assessment was the central focus of the gathering of 195 member states in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Governments are slated to evaluate progress toward the 2015 Paris Agreement goals during the UN climate talks in November 2028, a process known as the “Global Stocktake.”

Discussions regarding the review schedule and the IPCC’s budget “remain unresolved,” with the panel’s work set to continue at the earliest possible date, though no specifics were provided.

The prospect of delayed reports ahead of the 2028 climate summit has concerned a bloc of 30 nations, including European, Latin American, and small-island states advocating for urgent action.

In contrast, countries such as India, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China are advocating for additional time to develop the IPCC’s future reports, aiming to facilitate contributions from scientists in under-resourced nations.

“We convened to work, but encountered dismissal of every proposal — regarding inclusivity, the applicability of science to national planning, and the need for evidence to guide the next Global Stocktake,” stated Tina Stege, climate envoy for the Marshall Islands.

“Progress was stifled until the very end — an egregious delay tactic when every moment counts.”

The IPCC’s assessments are influential, as they are authored by hundreds of international experts and endorsed by all member governments, informing climate strategies and referenced in international legal decisions.

The UN Environment Programme has consistently warned that current efforts to curb warming are insufficient, emphasizing the necessity for more aggressive emissions reductions to prevent climate-induced catastrophes.

(Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan in Singapore; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Nia Williams)

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