31 March 2014: The tenth Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II (WGII-10) and 38th Session of the IPCC (IPCC-38) endorsed the findings of the second part of the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) addressing climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability.

The meeting took place from 25-30 March 2014, in Yokohama, Japan, running a day over its scheduled close. It issued the report from WGII, titled ‘Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability,’ which details the impacts of climate change to date, the future risks from a changing climate, and the opportunities for effective action to reduce risks.

The meeting brought together over 271 delegates representing 115 countries, as well as representatives from the UN and intergovernmental and observer organizations, and drew worldwide media attention. During the five-day event, delegates met in plenary and informally to consider the WGII contribution to AR5. Delegates were assisted by short informal presentations by the Coordinating Lead Authors (CLAs) on various sections and topics of the Summary for Policymakers (SPM). At the end of the meeting, WGII approved the SPM and accepted the underlying report including the Technical Summary and annexes.

The SPM consists of an introduction plus three main parts. The introduction addresses the assessment and management of climate change risks. Section A addresses observed impacts, vulnerability and adaptation in a complex and changing world, including: observed impacts, vulnerability and exposure; adaptation experience; and the decision-making context. Section B addresses future risks and opportunities for adaptation, including: key risks across sectors and regions; sectoral risks and potential for adaptation; and regional key risks and potential for adaptation. Section C focuses on managing future risks and building resilience, and includes subsections on: principles for effective adaptation; and climate-resilient pathways and transformation. In addition, the SPM contains several background and assessment boxes, as well as supplementary material, including a number of figures and tables.

Following the conclusion of WGII, the IPCC-38 convened to formally adopt the work by WGII contribution to the AR5. The approved SPM and its underlying report can be found on the IPCC website. [IPCC Press Release] [IPCC Sessions Website] [IISD RS Coverage] [IPCC Website] [UNFCCC Press Release]