Highlights and images for 6 October 2018

Highlights for Saturday, 6 October 2018

The 48th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-48) concluded on 6 October 2018 in Incheon, Republic of Korea, after adopting the Summary for Policymakers (SPM) of the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15). Although the meeting was initially scheduled to end on 5 October, delegates ended up working through the night to agree line-by-line to the SPM in the first Joint Session of Working Groups I, II and III, which then forwarded the SPM to the Panel for acceptance. The SR15 SPM includes four sections:

• Understanding Global Warming of 1.5°C;
• Projected Climate Change, Potential Impacts and Associated Risks;
• Emission Pathways and System Transitions Consistent with 1.5°C Global Warming; and
• Strengthening the Global Response in the Context of Sustainable Development and Efforts to Eradicate Poverty.

Through the adoption of the SPM, and acceptance of the underlying report, the IPCC responds to a 2015 decision of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which invited the Panel to provide a special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas (GHG) emission pathways. In addition to the SPM, IPCC-48 also adopted decisions on the IPCC Scholarship Programme and on the Ad Hoc Task Group on Financial Stability. IPCC-49 will convene in May 2019 in Kyoto, Japan, to approve the 2019 Refinement of the 2006 Guidelines on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. During the closing plenary, IPCC Chair Lee thanked all those who had contributed to the “keenly awaited” SR15 and its SPM. He said governments could start to use the Summary immediately, including at the Talanoa Dialogue during UNFCCC COP 24. Chair Lee gaveled the meeting to a close on Saturday at 3:41 pm.

IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, is providing daily web coverage, as well as a summary and analysis from IPCC-48.

Photos by IISD/ENB | Sean Wu

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A view of the venue early in the morning

Delegates huddle to consult with IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee

Conference staff setting up the desks for the Joint Session

The dais during the Joint Session

Daisuke Takayanagi, Japan

Jean-Charles Hourcade, Author

Authors in discussion

Miles Perry, EU

Volker Krey, Germany

Delegates huddle outside the conference room.

Trigg Talley, US

Khalid Abuleif, Saudi Arabia

WG Co-Chairs congratulating the approval of the Summary for Policymakers of the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C

Group photo of the WG Co-Chairs and Authors following agreement on the SR15 SPM

Republic of Korea welcomes the "historic" adoption of the SR15 SPM

IPCC Legal Officer Sophie Schlingemann, IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee, and IPCC Secretary Abdalah Mokssit

WG Co-Chairs and delegates applaud the success of IPCC-48.

Around the Venue

The ENB team (L-R): Sean Wu, Digital Editor; Elaine Limjoco, Logistics Coordinator; Leila Mead, Team Leader; and Maria Gutierrez, Deborah Davenport, Cleo Verkujil, Aaron Cosbey, Writers, make a Korean "Finger Heart".