Highlights for Friday, 28 February 2020

Chair Hoesung Lee and IPCC Secretary Abdalah Mokssit

Following intensive contact group discussions on the penultimate evening and last day of IPCC-52, the Panel agreed to an outline of the Sixth Assessment Report Synthesis Report, together with a set of additional notes to authors. In addition to a stage-setting Introduction, the outline contains three sections, namely: Current Status and Trends; Long-term Climate and Development Futures; and Near-term responses in a Changing Climate. Some of the more contentious issues that came up during the discussions on the outline related to the carbon budget and timeframes.

The Task Group on the Organization of the Future Work of the IPCC in Light of the Global Stocktake (GST) concluded its mandate, presenting its report on alternatives for a possible alignment of the cycles of the IPCC and the UNFCCC's Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement for the Panel’s future use.

The Panel also adopted the IPCC Gender Policy and Implementation Plan, which, among other things, establishes a Gender Action Team to oversee and monitor implementation of the actions outlined in the Gender Implementation Plan and propose potential future refinements of the Gender Policy and the Implementation Plan as needed and at least at the beginning of each assessment cycle.

The Panel will consider recommendations at its next session regarding the review of the Principles Governing IPCC Work, as appropriate, for consideration by IPCC-53.

In closing remarks, IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee thanked delegates for their work and efforts, which “payed respect to the spirit of cooperation and upheld the integrity of the IPCC and objectivity of its assessment activities.” He gaveled the meeting to a close at 7:33 pm.

IPCC Vice-Chair Thelma Krug

Isabel Di Carlo Quero, Venezuela, and José Romero, Switzerland

Florin Vladu, UNFCCC Secretariat, and Andrew Ferrone, Luxembourg

Frank McGovern, Ireland