Environment

IPCC Talks Collapse in Addis Ababa Over Report Timeline and Budget Crisis

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IPCC Talks Collapse in Addis Ababa Over Report Timeline and Budget Crisis
AI SUMMARY

A major international climate science meeting in Addis Ababa ended without agreement on the IPCC assessment report timeline and budget, raising concerns over global climate action.

  • The 65th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Addis Ababa ended without agreement on the publication schedule or budget for the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7).
  • This marked the sixth consecutive IPCC meeting where governments failed to agree on a timeline for the three major working group reports.
  • IPCC Chair Sir Jim Skea described the outcome as a profound disappointment and one of the most difficult meetings in the panel's history.
  • The IPCC secretariat estimates that approximately 33 million Swiss francs are needed to complete the AR7 cycle.
  • The organization's trust fund could be depleted by the end of 2028 at 2025 contribution levels, potentially preventing report delivery.
  • The dispute centered on whether to complete the reports in time for the United Nations' late 2028 global stocktake.
  • Countries such as India, Kenya, Russia, and Saudi Arabia supported a longer timeline, while China opposed tying the reports to the stocktake and holding more than three plenary sessions annually.
  • Marshall Islands climate envoy Tina Stege and Vanuatu criticized the failure, warning that delays increase climate-related risks and hinder protection efforts.
  • Nearly 120 scientists preparing the AR7 reports signed an open letter pledging to continue their work while warning against conducting the global stocktake without updated findings.
  • 2025 contributions were 5.3 million Swiss francs lower than in 2023, and the United States has not contributed financially since 2024.
  • Despite the deadlock, scientific work continues, including a special report on climate change and cities scheduled for 2027.