Hi, it’s konkaz (@konkazuk).
While reading articles related to COP, you’re bound to come across the acronym “IPCC” at some point. Have you ever wondered what this term actually means?
In this article, I’ll briefly explain what these four letters represent and the role they play.
What is IPCC?
To begin with, “IPCC” is an abbreviation for “Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change“.
The final “CC” matches the ending of “UNFCCC,” so keeping the first two letters in mind is all you need.
* “Intergovernmental” refers to cooperation between the governments of different countries, while “Panel” carries the nuance of “committee”.
By the early 1980s, scientific discussions about global warming became more active, and the impact of increasing CO₂ levels on the climate gained attention.
In response, the WMO (World Meteorological Organization), which deals with weather issues, and UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), which focuses on environmental issues, took the lead in establishing the “IPCC” in 1988. It now includes 195 participating countries.
* meteorological [miːtɪərəlɒdʒɪkl] means “related to weather”.
Its main role is…
to analyze information gathered by meteorological experts worldwide to assess the current situation and make predictions about the future in order to address climate change.(*The IPCC itself does not conduct independent research.)
The information built on these results is shared with committee members from different nations, serving as the basis for climate change mitigation efforts.
The first assessment report, released in 1990, laid the foundation for international agreements such as the UNFCCC and the later Paris Agreement on climate change.
To sum it up, the IPCC is an organization that releases reports every few years on the scientific evidence of climate change, its impact on our lives, and the actions that should be taken.
Bye now.
konkaz
*You can read this blog post in Japanese from the link below.
👉 【IPCCとは？】気候変動を理解するための必須知識