Education
LDC Group faults IPCC Plenary suspension over delayed climate science – EnviroNews
– Advertisement –
The Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group has expressed deep disappointment over the suspension of the 65th Plenary Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) without an agreement on the timeline for its Seventh Assessment Report (AR7).
The group warned that the failure to reach an agreement could undermine efforts to ensure that the latest scientific findings inform the second Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement.
The plenary session, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was suspended after delegates failed to agree on a timeline for delivering the three Working Group reports that constitute the assessment.
In a statement, the LDC Group said it had arrived at the meeting with high expectations, guided by the 2026 Dili Ministerial Declaration, which called for the timely delivery of all three Working Group reports in 2028.
The group maintained that the reports must be available in time to inform the second Global Stocktake, a critical process for assessing collective progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement.
However, it said disagreements persisted, with a handful of countries pushing for extended timelines, particularly for Working Groups II and III, which address climate impacts, adaptation, loss and damage, mitigation and finance.
According to the LDC Group, these areas are particularly important to vulnerable developing countries facing escalating climate risks and urgently requiring science-based responses.
“Delaying critical climate science represents a betrayal to vulnerable developing countries that urgently need timely, science-based climate action, as well as a betrayal of the principles of Global South solidarity,” said Ambassador Adao Soares Barbosa, Chair of the LDC Group on Climate Change.
The group acknowledged the decision by the IPCC Chair to suspend the session in an effort to safeguard inclusivity, noting that several delegations representing individual countries had to leave as the meeting extended beyond its scheduled duration.
Nevertheless, it expressed concern that lengthy and repetitive interventions by countries advocating extended timelines had contributed to the delays.
The group warned that such developments raised serious questions about the meaningful participation of the most vulnerable countries in international climate science negotiations.
“For countries on the frontlines of climate change, timely science is not a matter of convenience. It is essential for protecting lives, livelihoods, and our futures,” Barbosa said.
“We cannot afford a process in which the best available science arrives too late to inform decisions that will shape our survival,” he added.
The LDC Group stressed that timely scientific assessments were becoming increasingly important as climate impacts intensified and the risk of global temperatures exceeding the 1.5°C threshold grew.
It warned that delays in completing the AR7 reports could reduce the opportunity for the latest scientific evidence to guide governments as they strengthen climate commitments and determine future action under the Paris Agreement.
The second Global Stocktake is expected to play a crucial role in assessing the world’s collective progress towards limiting global warming and informing subsequent efforts to strengthen climate ambition.
For climate-vulnerable nations, the group said, access to timely and independent scientific evidence is essential for shaping policies on adaptation, addressing loss and damage, accelerating emissions reductions and mobilising climate finance.
The LDC Group called on all delegations to uphold the integrity of the IPCC process, demonstrate mutual respect and engage constructively when the plenary resumes.
It emphasised that decisions on the assessment timeline should reflect the urgency of the climate crisis rather than political considerations that could delay the availability of critical scientific evidence.
The group reiterated its commitment to reaching an agreement that balances inclusive participation with the need to deliver the three Working Group reports within a timeframe that allows their findings to inform the second Global Stocktake.
The IPCC’s Seventh Assessment Report is expected to provide governments with updated scientific evidence on climate change, including its causes, impacts, adaptation options and pathways for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
For the LDC Group, ensuring that the assessment is completed on time is not merely a technical scheduling issue but a matter of climate justice, particularly for countries whose populations face disproportionate risks despite contributing relatively little to global greenhouse gas emissions.
