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IPCC suspends Plenary Session over AR7 timelines, budget disagreements – EnviroNews
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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has suspended its 65th Plenary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, after member governments failed to reach a consensus on the timelines for its upcoming Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) and the budget required to support its work.
IPCC Chair, Jim Skea, announced this in a statement issued in Geneva on Monday, October 19, 2026, explaining that the session, which was suspended on Friday evening, October 16, had not concluded its business.
Skea said the plenary successfully completed most of its agenda, including an agreement on a new process to ensure the appropriate application and use of artificial intelligence (AI).
However, delegates were unable to reach consensus on two critical issues: the schedules for the three Working Group contributions to AR7 and the IPCC budget.
According to the IPCC Chair, the discussions extended beyond the scheduled closing time, forcing many delegates, particularly representatives of vulnerable countries and governments with small delegations, to leave the meeting to return home.
He stressed that the inclusive participation of all member governments in IPCC plenary sessions and its scientific work was essential to producing robust, representative and relevant climate assessments that address the needs of countries worldwide.
Skea noted that full participation allows governments to contribute their national and regional experiences, scientific knowledge and policy priorities to critical IPCC processes, including the review and approval of assessment reports.
He explained that inclusive engagement strengthens the authority, legitimacy, balance and policy relevance of the organisation’s findings by ensuring that its assessments reflect diverse geographical circumstances, development challenges and adaptation needs.
“For me, as a scientist and the Chair of this unique scientific and intergovernmental process, inclusivity must include equitable participation in the Panel’s decision-making, access to scientific information, capacity-building, financial and technical support, and effective participation in all critical deliberations,” he said.
The IPCC Chair emphasised that reaching agreement on the schedule for the forthcoming assessment reports was vital, given their role in informing national climate policies and strengthening countries’ responses to climate change.
He said the reports provide authoritative scientific evidence to guide adaptation and resilience efforts, improve disaster risk reduction, support climate-smart development and facilitate access to climate finance.
The assessments also help communicate the scale of climate risks and the urgency of mitigation, adaptation and international cooperation, making agreement on their delivery timelines particularly important.
The unresolved budget issue also remains central to the Panel’s ability to support its scientific assessment work and carry out its mandate.
Skea said he would work with member governments, the IPCC scientific leadership and the IPCC Secretariat to reconvene the plenary session at the earliest opportunity.
He expressed the commitment to ensuring that the Panel could effectively conclude its outstanding business.
The suspension leaves the IPCC with key decisions pending as it advances preparations for AR7, which is expected to provide governments and policymakers with scientific assessments to inform climate action and international cooperation. The IPCC is the United Nations body responsible for assessing scientific knowledge on climate change, including its causes, impacts, future risks and options for mitigation and adaptation. Its assessment reports provide a major scientific foundation for climate-related policymaking worldwide
