Climate Panel Faces Push to Delay 2028 Report Release

UPDATE - follow-up to IPCC is under pressure to delay publication of key global climate report: Petro-states and major developing countries are pushing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to postpone its seventh assessment report to 2029. The report was originally scheduled for 2028 to align with the Cop33 summit. The IPCC is meeting in Addis Ababa to discuss the timeline. Saudi Arabia and Russia are leading the push for a delay, backed by India and China. Proponents of the postponement argue it will allow developing countries more time to input scientific findings, pointing to decades of climate science dominance by the EU, UK, and US.

Reactions and Risks

Ministers from 34 vulnerable countries in the High Ambition Coalition and Least Developed Countries grouping strongly oppose the delay. Jess Gasper of the Marshall Islands stated that political interests should not dictate the science. Sierra Leone environment minister Jiwoh Emmanuel Abdulai warned that the Paris agreement relies on guidance from the best available science. Claudio Angelo of the Observatório do Clima criticized the delay push, questioning why nations capable of space programs could not build their own climate models.

Context

The IPCC is the leading global body for assessing climate science, with its findings informing international climate agreements and emissions targets. Scientific reports from the panel have grown increasingly urgent as global temperatures and extreme weather events continue to rise.