The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that “climate change threatens irreversible and dangerous impacts” yet says there are options to limiting climate change. “The solutions are many and allow for continued economic and human development. All we need is the will to change, which we trust will be motivated by knowledge and an understanding of the science of climate change,” said R.K. Pachauri, IPCC Chair, in a press release.
The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) was released in four parts between September 2013 and November 2014. The fourth and final installment is a synthesis document. It is the most comprehensive assessment of scientific knowledge on climate change since the Fourth Assessment Report was released in 2007.
As with most IPCC reports, the synthesis report includes a summary for policymakers as well as a longer report. It also includes “Headline Statements,” such as “Effective implementation depends on policies and cooperation at all scales, and can be enhanced through integrated responses that link adaptation and mitigation with other societal objectives.” The synthesis summary and headline document are likely aimed at encouraging world leaders to move toward an international agreement in Paris in 2015 at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (also known as COP 21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) to curb greenhouse gases.
At a press conference to announce the report’s release, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “Science has spoken with much more certainty and clarity than in the past” and “[t]ime is not on our side…leaders must act.”