Key facts
- IPCC member states failed to agree on a timeline for their next climate science review.
- The impasse could leave countries to decide the next phase of action without consensus on critical issues.
- A coalition of 30 countries, including European, Latin American, and small-island states, are alarmed by the delay.
- Countries including India, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China are pressing for more time to prepare reports.
The meeting of the members of the world's leading authority on climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), concluded on Friday without an agreement on a timeline for its next review of climate science. The gathering of representatives from its 195 member states in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was seen as a final opportunity to set publication dates before the UN climate talks in November 2028. The ongoing dispute, which has persisted for nearly three years, could hinder countries' ability to make decisions on future actions without consensus on crucial issues, such as the reversibility of global warming. The IPCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The disagreement highlights significant divisions between wealthy industrialized nations, major emerging economies, and poorer countries regarding the response to rising temperatures and the distribution of responsibility. A coalition of 30 countries, including European, Latin American, and small-island states, expressed alarm over the potential delay, while nations like India, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China are advocating for additional time to ensure scientists from less-resourced countries can contribute meaningfully to the IPCC's reports. These reviews are influential for governments in planning climate change responses and have been cited in international court rulings.