IPCC: 7th climate report to be published in 2029

The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), founded in 1988, is the world's leading authority for the assessment of climate change. Created by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program, it provides scientific analyses of climate change and its socio-economic effects. Without conducting direct research, the IPCC evaluates global information, offering an objective and comprehensive view. Composed of volunteer scientists from around the world, the IPCC ensures an accurate review of climate data. It is an entity open to members of the United Nations and the WMO, with 194 participating countries. Its role includes the preparation of global reports on climate change, with impacts and adaptation options. Important agreements, such as the Kyoto Protocol, have been influenced by its reports. With its seventh report due in 2029, the IPCC continues to lead the global understanding of climate.

The 60th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-60) took place in Turkey, in Istanbul from 16 to 19 January 2024. There, the IPCC adopted an agenda focused on adaptation to climate change, culminating in the publication of the seventh synthesis report in 2029. After intense debates and an all-night negotiating session, more than 300 delegates from 120 governments reached an agreement. This new programme follows the same structure as its predecessors, with interim reports preceding a final synthesis. Despite calls for a more timely report to urgently address the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the IPCC maintains its work pace, aiming to provide meaningful input for future climate negotiations.

The crucial challenge of the IPCC is to steer global emissions, which are still rising, towards a significant reduction of 43% by 2030. This goal is critical to limiting global warming to +1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial era, in line with the Paris Agreement. The IPCC recognises the need for swift and decisive action to counter the effects of climate change and emphasises the importance of these decisions in the current context, which is crucial for the future of our planet. IPCC Chairman Jim Skea emphasised the emphasis on climate change adaptation in the seventh cycle. The IPCC will work on developing new indicators and recommendations to measure adaptation efforts, such as flood and drought management and adaptation in agriculture.

On 20 March 2023, the IPCC published the sixth synthesis report on the assessment of climate change, highlighting its severity and emphasising the importance of taking swift and concrete action. The report highlighted the greenhouse effect as the main cause of global warming and emphasised its impact on the biological cycle of organisms and the balance of ecosystems. The experts also stated that if the temperature increased by 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels, measures to mitigate climate change would no longer be effective. The sixth IPCC report also highlighted the changing seasons - which we are currently experiencing - that will lead to scorching summers characterised by heat waves, longer autumns with abundant but less frequent rainfall, and shorter, milder and less rainy winters.

The seventh IPCC report will follow the structure of the sixth cycle, with three working groups focusing respectively on the physical basis of global warming, adaptation and vulnerability of humanity and ecosystems, and solutions to limit global warming. Special reports will also be included on topics such as climate change in cities and controversial CO2 capture methods. However, the publication of the summary report scheduled for the end of 2029 will not coincide with COP33 in 2028, a circumstance that has raised concerns among scientists and environmental organisations.

Adaptation measures are necessary to reduce the impact of climate change. At 3Bee, we work along the guidelines in the report of the IPCC: it is essential to actively contribute to the regeneration of biodiversity through tangible and measurable projects such as the Biodiversity Oases of 3Bee: urban and agroforestry habitats created in areas of low biodiversity, with the aim of regenerating it. Places where technology and nature come together to take a first step towards climate resilience. The project contributes to the regeneration of ecosystems, creating a network of organisations, companies and research institutes engaged in the creation of Europe's largest ecological corridor. Oases contribute to environmental protection and the regeneration of soil, but also to the mitigation of climate change: in cities, having more greenery helps to reduce heat islands, reducing the peaks of high temperatures and making the air cleaner.