Statement: Delaying the next major IPCC report risks leaving global decision-makers in the dark

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA - Following the abrupt conclusion of the 65th plenary meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Addis Ababa, countries failed to agree on the budget or timeline for publication of the Seventh Assessment Report cycle (AR7). As a result, the report may not be available in time for the second Global Stocktake (GST2) under the Paris Agreement, which begins at the United Nations' COP31 climate conference this November and directs countries to assess their progress toward existing climate goals.

To support that stock take process, the AR7 report would have provided countries with up-to-date insights derived from thousands of peer-reviewed papers to provide governments with objective data on climate change.

Environmental Defense Fund's Executive Vice President Angela Churie Kallhauge issued the following statement regarding the timeline for the IPCC's next climate report:

"Science is the bedrock of effective, equitable, and ambitious climate action. As countries prepare to kick off the second Global Stocktake at COP31, we need the science to better understand our collective progress and guide the next phase of national climate plans. Without it, we risk making decisions in the dark.

"The vast majority of governments, particularly Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, have made clear that the science can and must be published before this critical policy milestone. While capacity concerns from some countries are real, they should be met with better support and creative solutions-not delays that deprive the world of vital progress on climate change.

"At this pivotal moment for global climate ambition, holding back science risks weakening the momentum of the Paris Agreement. EDF calls on all member states to prioritize collaboration, honor calls for robust scientific guidance, and ensure the IPCC delivers the evidence base needed to inspire greater climate ambition worldwide."