The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a body of the United Nations that was created in 1988 to assess and report on the science related to climate change.

The objective of the IPCC is to provide scientific information on climate change that governments can use to develop climate policies based on the latest climate data and research.

The IPCC is a panel of 195 government members who elect a bureau of scientists for the duration of each of its assessment cycles. During the cycle, leading climate change scientists research and produce the IPCC Assessment reports.

What does the IPCC do?

When climate scientists are appointed by the IPCC, they begin a process of compiling and reviewing the latest scientific climate data and research to produce a comprehensive climate change report. 

The IPCC reports focus on three areas – the science behind what’s causing climate change; the impacts of climate change; and potential solutions and ways to cut carbon emissions.

The panel sometimes also produces special reports on specific topics related to climate change science, such as ‘Climate Change and Cities’ and ‘Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation’.

Why is the IPCC report so important?

The IPCC Report provides crucial insight into the science of climate change and evidence of the devastating harm that climate change is causing to people and the planet. The panel’s reports also set out solutions, pinpointing what governments can and should be doing to mitigate the impact of climate change.

ClientEarth's Analysis of Latest IPCC Reports

When the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change publishes a new report, our legal and policy experts review it to understand and respond to its findings. Often the IPCC’s report includes solutions that we’re also fighting to implement, using the law to develop and enforce policies to create a future in which people and planet thrive together.

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