The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has recently concluded its 59th session and elections, officially marking the start of its seventh assessment cycle. The IPCC, established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organisation and the UN Environment Programme, is renowned for producing comprehensive assessment reports that serve as the most authoritative source of scientific knowledge on climate change. With six assessment cycles completed and the final synthesis report of the sixth cycle released in March 2023, the IPCC has begun its new cycle to produce the next assessment report.
During the recent elections, James Skea, a professor of sustainable energy at Imperial College, London, was elected as the new IPCC Chair. The Chair's primary responsibility is to oversee the reports released during the assessment cycle and set the research agenda in collaboration with the IPCC Bureau. The Chair's role also involves obtaining governments' approvals on the report summaries, requiring a combination of scientific and diplomatic skills. The tenure of the Chair typically lasts five to seven years, with the possibility of serving up to two terms. Each IPCC assessment cycle spans five to seven years and includes the release of comprehensive assessment reports, special reports on specific topics, and methodology reports providing guidelines for estimating greenhouse gas emissions and removals. The previous, sixth assessment cycle was concluded with the synthesis report released in March 2023, summarizing the findings of the cycle's earlier reports from Working Group I (assessing the physical scientific basis of climate change), Working Group II (examining vulnerability to climate change), and Working Group III (focusing on climate change mitigation).
In the newly initiated seventh assessment cycle, the IPCC Chair and Bureau members will select authors and experts nominated by governments and various organizations, prioritizing expertise, scientific viewpoints, and geographical and gender balance. These selected authors will undertake the writing process for the upcoming assessment reports. The IPCC's continuous efforts in producing authoritative and comprehensive reports play a vital role in advancing global understanding of climate change and its impacts, contributing to informed decision-making and climate change mitigation strategies.
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Technology is a useful servant, but a dangerous master, it was rightly said. Electronic devices have grown into an inevitable part of our daily lives.
