IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)
The IPCC is the United Nations body that assesses the science of climate change, providing comprehensive reports that inform policy decisions and underpin emission accounting frameworks.
What is IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It does not conduct original research but instead synthesises thousands of scientific papers into Assessment Reports and Special Reports that represent the most authoritative summary of climate science.
The IPCC’s Assessment Reports (ARs) are published approximately every 6–7 years. The Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), completed in 2023, provided updated evidence on the physical science basis, impacts, adaptation, and mitigation of climate change. It confirmed that human influence has unequivocally warmed the planet and that limiting warming to 1.5°C requires rapid and deep emission reductions.
For carbon accounting, the IPCC provides the Global Warming Potential (GWP) values used to convert different greenhouse gases into CO₂e. It also provides the emission factor methodologies and inventory guidelines used by national governments and indirectly influences corporate reporting standards.
Practical Examples
The IPCC’s AR6 updated the global warming potential of methane from 28 (AR5) to 27.9 (AR6), affecting how organisations convert methane emissions to CO₂e.
The IPCC’s Special Report on 1.5°C (2018) provided the scientific basis for the Paris Agreement’s more ambitious temperature goal and influenced the SBTi’s 1.5°C target-setting methodology.
A company references the IPCC AR6 in its sustainability report to provide scientific context for its emission reduction targets.
How Climatise Helps
Climatise uses IPCC-aligned GWP values and methodologies in its emission calculations, ensuring your carbon footprint is consistent with the latest climate science and reporting standards.
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