Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report
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| Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report | |
|---|---|
| Name | Fifth Assessment Report |
| Author | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change |
| Country | International |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Climate change |
| Publisher | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change |
| Pub date | 2013–2014 |
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report The Fifth Assessment Report was a multi-volume synthesis produced between 2013 and 2014 that assessed scientific literature on climate change, impacts, and mitigation. It informed deliberations at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and influenced policy decisions by entities such as the European Union, United States Department of State, G20, and World Bank. The report integrated contributions from scientists affiliated with institutions including NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Met Office, Max Planck Society, and numerous universities.
Background and Purpose
The assessment was commissioned by the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change under the authority of the United Nations General Assembly and designed to update prior assessments like the First Assessment Report, Second Assessment Report, Third Assessment Report, and Fourth Assessment Report. It aimed to provide policymakers in bodies such as the European Commission, United States Congress, Parliament of the United Kingdom, and Council of the European Union with a basis for negotiating instruments similar to the Kyoto Protocol and the emerging Paris Agreement. Lead authors were drawn from networks including the Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences (United States), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Indian Space Research Organisation, and Australian Academy of Science.
Structure and Content of the Report
The report comprised three Working Group contributions and a Synthesis Report, paralleling structures used by bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in earlier cycles and comparable to publications of the World Meteorological Organization. Working Group I addressed physical science, drawing on observations from Hadley Centre, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Working Group II examined impacts and adaptation with inputs from International Union for Conservation of Nature, Food and Agriculture Organization, International Monetary Fund studies, and regional assessments such as the Arctic Council reports. Working Group III covered mitigation, referencing analyses by International Energy Agency, OPEC, United Nations Development Programme, and World Resources Institute. The Synthesis Report integrated material for stakeholders including the G77, Small Island Developing States, African Union, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Key Findings and Conclusions
Working Group I concluded that human influence on the climate system was clear, citing evidence from temperature records maintained by HadCRUT, GISS, Berkeley Earth, and paleoclimate reconstructions associated with PAGES and the IPCC. Projections used scenarios such as those developed by the Representative Concentration Pathways community and models from centers like MPI-ESM, NCAR, ECMWF, and GFDL, indicating likely temperature increases affecting systems noted in reports from United Nations Environment Programme and World Health Organization. Working Group II highlighted vulnerabilities in regions such as the Amazon rainforest, Great Barrier Reef, Himalayas, and Sahel, citing impacts on sectors represented by the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Bank, and International Committee of the Red Cross. Working Group III emphasized pathways to limit warming, drawing on mitigation scenarios explored by European Commission Directorate-General for Climate Action, International Energy Agency, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, and national strategies from countries such as China, United States, India, Germany, and Brazil.
Methodology and Assessment Processes
Assessment methods combined literature synthesis standards used by the Cochrane Collaboration and systematic review principles applied in reports by the World Health Organization. The process involved nomination of experts by governments and organizations including the Royal Society, National Science Foundation, and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, peer review rounds comparable to practices at Nature (journal), Science (journal), and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Confidence and likelihood statements were calibrated using guidance from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's uncertainty guidance and drew on datasets curated by NOAA, Hadley Centre, European Space Agency, and the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Review, Reception, and Criticism
The report underwent multiple review stages with reviewers from institutions such as University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Beijing Normal University, and University of Cape Town. It was endorsed by the plenary of member states including delegations from United States, China, India, Russia, and Brazil, while receiving critique from commentators in outlets like The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, New York Times, and Le Monde. Scientific critiques referenced methodological debates involving researchers at University of East Anglia, Cornell University, Princeton University, and Stanford University, and policy critiques were advanced by think tanks such as Cato Institute, World Resources Institute, Brookings Institution, and Heritage Foundation. Disputes addressed topics covered in inquiries like those following the Climatic Research Unit email controversy and comparisons with assessments by National Research Council (US).
Impact and Policy Influence
Findings from the assessment informed negotiations culminating in the Paris Agreement and influenced commitments in forums including the G20 Summit, bilateral talks between China–United States relations representatives, and national policies adopted by European Union member states and United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations. It shaped funding priorities at multilateral lenders such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank and guided research agendas at institutions like Smithsonian Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Meteorological Office (United Kingdom). The report's synthesis continues to be cited by legal cases adjudicated in courts including the Supreme Court of the United States and tribunals addressing policy frameworks established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.