Explained: Key takeaways from IPCC Synthesis Report on climate change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published its Synthesis Report (SYR) on March 20, which summarises the findings of six reports released during its Sixth Assessment Cycle:
- The 1.5 degrees Celsius report of 2018
- The Special Reports on Land and Oceans of 2019
- The three Assessment Reports published between 2021 and 2022
The SYR is presented in the wake of major global upheaval brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent global energy crisis.
It also follows notable deliberations at the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate in Egypt last year, where a loss and damage fund for climate victims was written into existence, and discourse on issues such as fossil fuel phasedown and global financial system reform was elevated.
Here are three key messages from the Summary for Policymakers (SPM) of the SYR.