65th Session of the IPCC (IPCC-65)

After months of stalemate, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will convene once again with the aim of resolving a challenge that has plagued every meeting of the current cycle: the timeline for delivery of the components of its Seventh Assessment Report on the state of knowledge on climate change. This once-benign procedural issue has taken on significant weight during the IPCC’s Seventh Assessment Cycle as it has dominated the meetings, but participants have been unable to achieve consensus. 

During its 65th session, the Panel must reach agreement on the work plan, as its ability to approve the budget for the remainder of this cycle hinges on the anticipated workload and other requirements. 

The Panel will also continue its consideration of the review of IPCC’s principles and procedures, following discussion of this issue and diverging preferences at its 64th session. Additionally, the Panel will seek to approve the official reports from its last four sessions, following dissatisfaction with the draft reports and disagreement about the level of specificity and terms that should be used to reflect the Panel’s deliberations. 

Participants will also consider the strategic human resources plan of the IPCC Secretariat, the role of artificial intelligence in IPCC processes, and the IPCC Trust Fund programme and budget. The Trust Fund supports the participation of developing country experts in the IPCC, organization of meetings, and publication and translation of IPCC reports, among other activities. The Panel will also aim to approve a budget for the years 2026–2029 and review an audit of the 2025 financial statements. 

The Panel will hear progress reports from its three Working Groups, including Working Group I, which will produce a report on the Physical Science Basis of climate change, Working Group II, which will report on Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability, and Working Group III, which will report on Mitigation of Climate Change. Progress reports will also be presented on the work of the IPCC Chair and Vice-Chairs, the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, the Gender Action Team, the IPCC Scholarship Programme, and on communication and outreach activities. 

The IPCC will also consider the admission of observers and address matters related to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and other international bodies. 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and risks, as well as adaptation and mitigation options. Since its establishment in 1988, the IPCC has prepared a series of comprehensive assessment reports and special reports that provide scientific information on climate change to the international community to inform climate policymaking.

The IPCC is made up of 195 governments that are members of the United Nations or the World Meteorological Organization. Its reports are based on the work of thousands of experts who volunteer as IPCC authors. 

IPCC-65 will convene from 12–16 October 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Writers for the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) IPCC-65 team are: Jessica Templeton, Ph.D.; and María Gutiérrez, Ph.D. The Digital Editor is Danny Skilton. The Editor is Pamela Chasek, Ph.D.