⏰ 5 Minutes
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988 to provide political leaders with periodic scientific assessments concerning climate change, its implications, and risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation strategies. In the same year the UN General Assembly endorsed the action by the WMO and UNEP in jointly establishing the IPCC. It has 195 member states.
The Working Group II contribution to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report assesses the impacts of climate change, looking at ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities at global and regional levels. It also reviews vulnerabilities and the capacities and limits of the natural world and human societies to adapt to climate change.
The Summary for Policymakers (SPM) provides a high-level summary of the key findings of the Working Group II Report and is approved by the IPCC member governments line by line.
The Technical Summary (TS) provides extended summary of key findings and serves as a link between the comprehensive assessment of the Working Group II Report and the concise SPM.
The 18 Chapters and 7 Cross-Chapter Papers of the Working Group II Report assess the impacts of climate change on nature and humanity, and their capacities and limits for adaptation.
CHAPTER 1- Point of departure and key concepts: Chapter 1 introduces the Working Group II contribution to AR6, explains its framing and context, and elaborates on the key concepts used in the report.
CHAPTER 2- Terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems and their services: Chapter 2 provides a global assessment of climate change impacts and risks to terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems and their services as well as adaptation options to reduce risks.
CHAPTER 3- Ocean and coastal ecosystems and their services: Chapter 3 provides a global assessment of climate change impacts and risks to ocean and coastal ecosystems and their services as well as adaptation options to reduce risks.
CHAPTER 4- Water: Chapter 4 assesses current climate change impacts on the global water cycle, projected water-related risks for human and natural systems, and adaptation options and effectiveness.
CHAPTER 5- Food, fibre, and other ecosystem products: Chapter 5 provides a global assessment of climate change impacts and risks to agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture, as well as adaptation solutions and limits.
CHAPTER 6- Cities, settlements, and key infrastructure: Chapter 6 assesses climate change impacts and risks to cities, human settlements and key infrastructure as well as enabling conditions and options for adaptation.
CHAPTER 7- Health, wellbeing, and the changing structure of communities: Chapter 7 provides a global assessment of current climate change impacts and projected risks to health and wellbeing, as well as adaptations solutions and limits.
CHAPTER 8- Poverty, livelihoods, and sustainable development: Chapter 8 assesses climate change impacts and future risks to the most vulnerable and marginalized people and livelihoods as well as enabling conditions and options for adaptation.
CHAPTER 9- Africa: Chapter 9 assesses climate change impacts and risks, vulnerability as well as enabling conditions, barriers and options for adaptation and climate resilient development in Africa.
CHAPTER 10- Asia: Chapter 10 assesses climate change impacts and risks, vulnerability as well as enabling conditions, barriers and options for adaptation and climate resilient development in Asia.
CHAPTER 11- Australasia: Chapter 11 assesses climate change impacts and risks, vulnerability as well as barriers and options for adaptation and climate resilient development in Australia and New Zealand.
CHAPTER 12- Central and South America: Chapter 12 assesses climate change impacts and risks, vulnerability as well as barriers and options for adaptation and climate resilient development in Central and South America.
CHAPTER 13- Europe: Chapter 13 assesses climate change impacts and risks, vulnerability as well as enabling conditions, barriers and options for adaptation and climate resilient development in Europe.
CHAPTER 14- North America: Chapter 14 assesses climate change impacts and risks, vulnerability as well as barriers and options for adaptation and climate resilient development in North America.
CHAPTER 15- Small Islands: Chapter 15 assesses climate change impacts and risks, vulnerability as well as barriers and options for adaptation and climate resilient development in Small Islands.
CHAPTER 16- Key risks across sectors and regions: Chapter 16 synthesizes observed climate change impacts, adaptation-related responses, limits to adaptation and the key risks identified across sectors and regions.
CHAPTER 17- Decision-making options for managing risk: Chapter 17 assesses the options, processes and enabling conditions for climate risk management as well as the governance and applicability of adaptation options in various contexts.
CHAPTER 18- Climate resilient development pathways: Chapter 18 assesses the ways climate impacts and risks hinder Climate Resilient Development (CRD) in different sectoral and regional contexts as well as the ways of achieving CRD.
Cross-Chapter Papers
CROSS-CHAPTER PAPER 1- Biodiversity hotspots (land, coasts, and oceans): CCP1 assesses the impacts and vulnerability to climate change of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems considered to be biodiversity hotspots.
CROSS-CHAPTER PAPER 2- Cities and settlements by the sea: CCP2 assesses climate change impacts and risks to coastal cities and settlements, their vulnerability as well as enabling conditions and options for adaptation.
CROSS-CHAPTER PAPER 3- Deserts, semi-arid areas, and desertification: CCP3 assesses climate change impacts and risks to deserts and semi-arid areas, including desertification, as well as options for adaptation and climate resilient development.
CROSS-CHAPTER PAPER 4- Mediterranean region: CCP4 assesses climate change impacts and risks, vulnerability as well as barriers and options for adaptation and climate resilient development in the Mediterranean region.
CROSS-CHAPTER PAPER 5- Mountains: CCP5 assesses climate change impacts and risks, vulnerability as well as barriers and options for adaptation and climate resilient development in mountain regions.
CROSS-CHAPTER PAPER 6- Polar regions: CCP6 assesses the climate change impacts and risks to ecosystems and human systems in Polar Regions, as well as options for adaptation and climate resilient development.
CROSS-CHAPTER PAPER 7- Tropical forests: CCP7 assesses climate change impacts and risks, as well as barriers and options for adaptation and increasing climate resilience in tropical forests.
ANNEX I- Global to Regional Atlas
ANNEX II- Glossary
The full text of this report is available here:
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/
More information about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is available here: