Sixth Assessment Report - IPCC

On 9th August 2021, the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC released the first part of its sixth assessment report (AR6) titled ‘Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis’. The report was released by one of the three Working Groups of IPCC - intended to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information concerning climate change.

Major Findings: Climatic extremes such as heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and tropical cyclones have strengthened since the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). They include increases in the frequency and intensity of hot extremes, marine heatwaves, and heavy precipitation, agricultural and ecological droughts in some regions, and proportion of intense tropical cyclones, as well as reductions in Arctic sea ice, snow cover and permafrost.

Earlier Assessment Reports

  • First Assessment Report (1990): This report formed the basis for negotiation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992.
  • Second Assessment Report (1995): This report was the scientific underpinning for Kyoto Protocol in 1997.
  • Fourth Assessment Report (2007): The report won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for IPCC and was the scientific input for the 2009 Copenhagen climate meeting.
  • Fifth Assessment Report (2014): This report formed the scientific basis for negotiations of the Paris Agreement in 2015.
  • Global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades.
  • Under scenarios with increasing CO2 emissions, the ocean and land carbon sinks are projected to be less effective at slowing the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere.
  • From a physical science perspective, limiting human-induced global warming to a specific level requires limiting cumulative CO2 emissions, reaching at least net zero CO2 emissions, along with strong reductions in other greenhouse gas emissions. Strong, rapid and sustained reductions in CH4 emissions would also limit the warming effect resulting from declining aerosol pollution and would improve air quality.

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