21 August 2017: The 46th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 46) will meet in Montreal, Canada, from 6-10 September 2017. Delegates are expected to approve, among other things, the chapter outlines of the three Working Group (WG) contributions to the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). It will also approve the proposed outline of the Synthesis Report (SYR).

WGI assesses the physical science basis of climate change, WGII addresses climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, and WGIII considers options for limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigating climate change.

The Panel is expected to discuss, inter alia, alignment of the cycles of the IPCC and the UNFCCC global stocktake envisioned under the Paris Agreement on climate change, developing country participation in IPCC activities, and SLCFs.

IPCC 46 will address: the IPCC Trust Fund Programme and Budget, including the budgets for 2018, 2019 and 2020; resource mobilization; and progress of the Ad Hoc Task Group on Financial Stability (ATG-Finance). It will also discuss, inter alia: the report of the Conflict of Interest (COI) Committee; the future of the Task Group on Data and Scenario Support for Impact and Climate Analysis (TGICA); alignment of the cycles of the IPCC and the UNFCCC global stocktake (GST) envisioned under the Paris Agreement on climate change; developing country participation in IPCC activities; and short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs).

Additionally, IPCC 46 will hear progress reports on other components of the sixth assessment cycle, namely the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15), the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) and the Special Report on Climate Change and Land (SRCCL). According to IPCC announcements dated 17 August 2017, the Panel has selected authors for the SROCC and the SRCCL, including Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors and Review Editors. The two Special Reports are expected to be finalized in September 2019. Having selected SR15 authors in February 2017, the IPCC expects to finalize SR15 in 2018.