New IPCC Report Released

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released the Summary for Policymakers for its upcoming Synthesis Report of its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). The new report opens with a high-level summary that brings together key points from the IPCC’s three working groups, which examine: (1) the physical climate science, (2) adaptation and vulnerability, and (3) mitigation. With each successive report, the confidence in the trends, attribution and impacts of anthropogenic climate change grows stronger, as does the language outlining the need for, and benefits of, strong mitigation and adaptation measures to avoid the worst of the projected future impacts.

The report highlights the most important messages from the three reports that it draws upon. It explains that human activities are responsible for the current warming (about 1.1 degrees compared to the 1850-1900 period) and associated widespread changes and impacts, including effects on weather and climate extremes. It also shares projections for what the future may hold, dependent on emissions pathways, with increased warming following continued emissions and bringing with it impacts that escalate as warming increases. This warming will also be greater in high-latitude regions, such as our province. The report indicates that, while adaptation and mitigation measures have expanded over time, these still fall short of what will be needed to meet the challenges that climate change presents. But the report also shares the wealth of opportunities available to address climate change across multiple areas and how these will reduce the costs of climate change and provide co-benefits.

Read the new Summary for Policymakers for the AR6 Synthesis Report.

Visit the page for the new report to access the report, headlines statements and more.