UN Climate Body Warns Time Is Running Out as Major Science Talks Begin
Delegates from nearly 200 nations convened this week as the United Nations cautioned that urgent action is needed, emphasizing that time is slipping away during a critical phase for global climate science.
The session, organized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is taking place over the course of a week in Hangzhou, China. Participants are negotiating both the structure and timeline of the next major climate assessment, coming shortly after multiple scientific agencies confirmed that 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded.
Opening the meeting, UN Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Andersen stressed the urgency of the situation, warning that “time is not on our side” and calling for bold and decisive outcomes from the discussions.
IPCC Chair Jim Skea described the gathering as a crucial moment for shaping the upcoming global climate report, underlining its importance for future policymaking.
The IPCC assessment reports, first established in 1988, are designed to provide governments with comprehensive scientific insights on climate change. Since the release of the first report in 1990, these assessments have become the leading global authority on climate science.
At the opening session, World Meteorological Organization Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barret highlighted their significance, calling them an essential guide for governments navigating the complexities of climate-related challenges.
These reports are the result of years of work by hundreds of scientists worldwide, compiling and evaluating the latest research on climate change. The upcoming assessment will mark the seventh in the series and will consist of three main sections: the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts, and potential strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Currently, the report is scheduled for publication in 2029. However, this timeline remains under debate, as several countries are advocating for an earlier release.
Disagreements over timing are expected to dominate discussions in Hangzhou, with some nations viewing this meeting as the last opportunity to finalize a schedule. A coalition of 20 environment ministers from the High Ambition Coalition has called for safeguarding the integrity of climate science, stressing its critical role in shaping policy decisions.
In a joint statement, the ministers—representing EU member states, island nations, and countries particularly vulnerable to climate impacts—emphasized the responsibility to base decisions about the planet’s future on the most reliable and up-to-date scientific evidence.
They also underlined the importance of completing the report in time to contribute to the 2028 UN Global Stocktake, which evaluates global progress toward the targets set under the Paris Agreement.
On the other hand, a group of countries including Russia, Saudi Arabia, China, South Africa, and India, with support from Kenya, has opposed accelerating the timeline. These nations argue that rushing the process could compromise the inclusiveness of the report and limit participation from scientists in developing regions.
Meanwhile, the absence of the United States has drawn attention. Reports indicate that officials from the US State Department and scientists from federal agencies have been withdrawn from the talks following directives from the Trump administration.
This development follows President Donald Trump’s decision to once again withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement on his first day back in office.
According to sources cited by Reuters and Axios, a halt in work orders has affected staff from key institutions such as the US Global Change Research Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, both of which typically contribute to IPCC discussions.
NASA’s chief scientist, Kate Calvin—who plays a leading role in the current assessment cycle—will also not attend the meeting, according to reports referencing a NASA spokesperson.
Observers suggest these moves reflect a broader shift by the Trump administration away from international climate cooperation and mitigation efforts. The White House has yet to clarify whether the United States will formally withdraw from participation in the IPCC.