Summary ｜

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The 52nd session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-52) is expected to, among other things, approve the outline for the Synthesis Report (SYR) of the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). A scoping meeting for the SYR convened from 21-23 October 2019 in Singapore where participants, inter alia: discussed themes, content and structure of the SYR; proposed outline section titles and bullets; and suggested a schedule and timetable going forward. The proposed SYR outline contains sections on: current status and trends; long-term climate and development futures; and near-term action in a changing climate. The SYR is expected to be released in May 2022.

Given that the last four IPCC plenary sessions focused on the approval of three special reports and a refinement to the methodology report, with little time allocated to other issues, IPCC-52 will also provide the first opportunity in almost two years to address multiple substantive and procedural agenda items in more detail.

For example, IPCC-52 is expected to discuss the final report of the Task Group on the Organization of the Future Work of the IPCC in Light of the Global Stocktake (GST). Established by IPCC-46 in 2017, the Task Group, co-chaired by France and Mexico, details, in its final report, alternative options to address alignment of IPCC and GST cycles.

The Panel will also discuss potential joint activities between the IPCC and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), such as an IPCC/IPBES co-sponsored workshop to address synergies and trade-offs between biodiversity protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The proposed workshop dates are 12-14 May 2020. A report from the workshop could: provide information relevant to implementation of the Paris Agreement, the post-2020 biodiversity framework and the Sustainable Development Goals; and contribute to the scoping of, and feed into, the IPBES assessment of interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health, and the IPCC AR6 Working Group and Synthesis Reports.

IPCC-52 will also discuss a draft IPCC Gender Policy and Implementation Plan presented by the Task Group on Gender, which was established by IPCC-49 in 2019. The draft plan describes actions related to, inter alia: enhancing gender equality in IPCC processes; ensuring a gender-inclusive environment; establishing a Gender Action Team; and providing training, guidance and/or internal workshops on gender balance and gender-related issues.

The Panel will also:

• consider a report of the Task Group on Data Support for Climate Change Assessments (TG-Data), which was established in April 2019;
• decide whether to start a review of the Principles Governing IPCC work, and, if agreed, a process for undertaking such a review; and
• receive progress reports on communication and outreach activities, the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (TFI) including related methodological work on short-lived climate forcers, and Working Groups I, II and III contributions to the AR6.

On 24 February, prior to the start of IPCC-52, a pre-plenary briefing session will convene to provide an introduction to IPCC-52 agenda items, and the results of a survey that was held following the last pre-plenary briefing in March 2017.

Created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the IPCC aims to provide governments at all levels with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies. IPCC-52 will meet from 24-28 February 2020 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France.