1. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Key Objectives and Mandate

• The IPCC is the world’s foremost authority on climate science, established to provide objective, scientific assessments on:

• The physical basis of climate change

• Impacts, vulnerabilities, and adaptation strategies

• Mitigation pathways and response options

• It does not conduct original research, but compiles, reviews, and synthesizes thousands of scientific studies globally. It serves as the scientific backbone for UNFCCC negotiations and climate policymaking.

Organizational Structure

• IPCC Panel: Comprises representatives from all member states

• Working Groups:

• WG I – Physical science basis

• WG II – Impacts, adaptation, vulnerability

• WG III – Mitigation strategies

• Task Force on GHG Inventories – Assists nations in tracking emissions

• Bureau and Technical Support Units coordinate preparation of reports

• Reports undergo a rigorous multi-stage peer review process

India’s Role and Relevance

• Indian scientists have regularly served as Lead Authors and Coordinators

• Example: Dr. R. Krishnan from IITM in AR6

• IPCC data is used for India’s:

• National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)

• State Action Plans (SAPCCs)

• Greenhouse gas inventory and climate projections

• India strongly supports equity in carbon space and uses IPCC data to argue for climate justice and differentiated responsibility in COP discussions

Key Initiatives and Developments

• Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) cycle (2021–2023):

• Declared climate change to be unequivocally human-induced

• Highlighted the narrowing window to keep warming under 1.5°C

• Stressed on climate-resilient development, adaptation finance, and global inequality

• Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15): Influenced Paris climate targets

• IPCC assessments are now key inputs for Global Stocktakes under the Paris Agreement

• Next cycle (AR7) to begin around 2025

Additional Facts

• Shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore

• Uses Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) to model future scenarios

• Reports are used by UN, World Bank, national governments, and NGOs for policy formulation

• Forms the scientific base for climate litigation and carbon pricing models

Relevance for UPSC Exam

• Prelims: Questions on AR6 highlights, report names, RCPs/SSPs, Nobel Prize, and IPCC’s relation to UNEP/WMO

• Mains (GS3):

• Climate science in policy

• Climate justice and equity

• Science-policy interface in governance

• Essay & Interview: Critical for climate essays, especially on topics like climate emergency, science vs politics, or ethical responsibility toward future generations