2018 marks a historic milestone for what is probably the largest and most important scientific working group of our time. This year sees the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Ipcc), the international body for the assessment and study of the impacts associated with climate change. Founded in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (Wmo) and the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep), the Ipcc today brings together the work of thousands of scientists around the world who contribute, on a voluntary basis, the results of their rigorously peer-reviewed research. The aim is to provide the scientific community, the political world and citizens with a clear and shared picture of current knowledge relating to climate change, its impacts and possible adaptation and mitigation strategies.

It was in Bologna that a commemorative day was held, in the historic rooms of the Alma mater studiorum. The day was organised by "Connect4Climate", the World Bank's programme for climate change communication, as part of "All4theGreen", and was attended by internationally renowned scientists, institutional representatives and many young students. "In recent years Bologna has become a cultural and scientific hub on climate issues. The award of the meteorological data centre, and the hosting of the G7 Environment summit, which made it the world capital of tackling climate change for 10 days, were the best possible backdrop for celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Ipcc in the Emilian capital — a fundamental UN body helping us to sustain and, we trust, to win the challenge for a more liveable future on our planet," said outgoing Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti in his opening remarks.

In 2018 the Ipcc will publish a new report

But 2018 is not only a historic milestone — it will also be a fundamental date because it will pave the way for the publication of the 6th Assessment Report (Ar6) in 2022. In October, the Ipcc will release a special report (Sr15, or Special Report 15) containing the scientific community's assessments of the scenarios that would arise with an increase in average global temperatures of 1.5°C, as envisaged by the Paris Agreement. This is a comprehensive review of the state of scientific knowledge on climate change, its social and economic impacts, possible response strategies and the elements to be incorporated into a possible future international climate convention.

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#IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee, #All4TheGreen event dedicated to #IPCC30 celebrations in 🇮🇹 bit.ly/2CuWAwC #AR6 #climatechange @minambienteIT @WorldBank @Connect4Climate

♥ 13 26 feb 2018 · Apri su X →

"In all likelihood, this will be one of the most important years in the history of the Ipcc and in the study of climate change. We have finished selecting the contributions that will form part of the 6th Assessment Report, which will be the most significant scientific contribution since the Paris Agreement," said Ipcc President Hoesung Lee, one of the most eagerly awaited guests. "A special report will be published in October, in time for Cop24 in December, and will contain assessments for both 1.5°C and 2°C scenarios." A fundamental contribution that will provide the forecasting models developed on the basis of different levels of emissions achieved over time. The report will contribute to strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, with a focus on sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty.

"In previous reports we demonstrated the existence of climate change and the influence that human activities have had on the climate system," added Hoesung Lee. "What will set Ar6 apart from its predecessors is that it will provide a scientific correlation between climate change actions and economic policies. We now need to demonstrate how climate policies will be fundamental in the centuries ahead." A link demonstrated, for example, by the renewable energy sector: investment in low-carbon sources now exceeds that in fossil fuels.

The history of Ipcc reports, from 1988 to today

Over the years, the Ipcc's assessments have provided governments with a solid scientific foundation on which to develop climate-related policies and have given the necessary scientific support during negotiations and climate conferences.

• In 1988, through resolution 43/53 of 6 December, the United Nations General Assembly established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Ipcc) with the aim of carrying out a review of the state of scientific knowledge in the field of climate. The work culminated in the First Assessment Report (Ar1), published in 1990: "Climate Change: The Ipcc Scientific Assessment", which for the first time provided "a broad overview of the science of climate change, discussing uncertainties and providing evidence of warming".
• In 1995 the Second Assessment Report "Climate Change 1995" (Ar2) was published, one of the most important publications that led to the first major climate agreement, namely the creation of the Kyoto Protocol. In this volume "the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate".
• In 2001 the Third Assessment Report "Climate Change 2001" (Ar3) was published, in which projections of global warming by the end of the century were provided for the first time: annual mean temperature anomalies were estimated at between +1.4 and 5.8°C. This volume stated "that there was new and even stronger evidence that the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities".
• With the Fourth Assessment Report (Ar4), published in 2007, the scientific community provided proof that the world is "unequivocally warming", due to rising greenhouse gas emissions.
• The Fifth Assessment Report (Ar5) of 2013 is perhaps among the most important: it demonstrated that recent years are the warmest ever recorded since temperature measurements began (1880), with emissions of CO2, methane and nitrogen oxides among the highest recorded in the last 800,000 years. In this report the Ipcc also discusses possible scenarios.

"The Paris Agreement not only set ambitious targets, but also gave new impetus to climate science research," explained Jan S. Fuglestvedt, vice-chair of the Ipcc working group. "The latest report will provide the tools to gain a general understanding and a broader picture of what is happening in the climate system."