| Countries among the worst-affected by climate change warn that a failure to include timely and relevant scientific inputs will thwart essential climate action. |
| New York, 21st February, 2025 The 39-member Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) is calling for a global commitment to ensure vital inputs are provided for imminent reports from the world’s leading scientific body. This must be done in time to inform action that can stave off the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. Climate change scientists and experts are currently preparing for the forthcoming 62nd meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Hangzhou, China from February 24th, 2025. Small island developing states, as well as Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are concerned that the Seventh Assessment Report of the IPCC, which will contain essential scientific inputs, may not be ready in time to inform the second round of the Global Stocktake. The Global Stocktake (GST) is a critical tool which tracks progress on international climate action and identifies priority needs. Without the IPCC report informing the next GST, vital analysis on priority areas such as Mitigation, Adaptation, responses to Loss and Damage, and Climate Finance will not be comprehensively addressed. This could lead to a Global Stocktake that lacks the latest science from the IPCC, resulting in a push towards actions which are politically expedient rather than adequately addressing needs identified by extensive scientific analysis. AOSIS Chair, Her Excellency Ilana Seid said: “As global emissions continue to rise, temperatures are soaring and creating uninhabitable conditions. Our islands are enduring the indisputable effects of climate change right now, and data-driven action is absolutely essential if we hope to combat this crisis. The IPCC reports are a cornerstone of international climate understanding and action. At the annual UN climate meetings, our world came together via COP28’s UAE Consensus, pledging to uphold the integrity of climate science. The Global Stocktake is integral to efficiently track our world’s progress towards achieving the 1.5-degree goal of the Paris Agreement. The process of a second Global Stocktake will launch in 2026 and countries must act on their acknowledgment that timely and relevant insights from the IPCC are integral to the Global Stocktake process. To backtrack is to drive our world irrevocably off-track. Wielding the best scientific analysis will improve our collective understanding and bolster our defenses in this fight to address climate change. The Global Stocktake is a vital tool for identifying gaps in global climate action, and inclusive climate science – which takes SIDS’ and LDCS’ unique circumstances into account – will ensure we can build the most robust roadmap to achieve sustainability and resilience for all. We call on the international community to close ranks and demand access to the highest level of climate science to inform our work. In an age where we are facing dangerous consequences from misinformation, we must elevate our strategies with the most thoroughly analysed facts and complete analysis. Climate science must remain accessible and actionable for all. Our survival depends on it.” |
