IPCC Urges End To Deadlock Over Climate Science Reports

ETV Bharat / international Saudi Arabia, China and India are among those pushing for the "seventh assessment report" to be delayed until 2029. Cars drive past wind turbines in Balabanli, near Tekirdag, northwestern Turkey, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 ( AP ) By AFP Published : October 12, 2026 at 10:42 PM IST 2 Min Read The UN's expert climate panel convened Monday hoping to resolve a standoff over the publication of its science, with fossil fuel-reliant nations pushing to delay the release of key reports.

The science assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the benchmark reference for the United Nations but the timing of its next major set of reports has sparked a diplomatic standoff. Some countries, particularly in Europe, want the report published ahead a crucial stocktake of global efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions at the UN climate summit in 2028.

Saudi Arabia, China and India are among those pushing for the "seventh assessment report" to be delayed until 2029. China is said to be considering a bid to host the COP33 talks in 2028 after India withdrew its offer to host them without specifying a reason. IPCC chair Jim Skea conceded there was still a "critical gap" over the timing issue but urged nations to break the deadlock at a key meeting this week in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

"This plenary is at a critical juncture, and I am confident that the panel is fully aware of the organisational and reputational significance of its decision on the workplan for the seventh assessment report at this meeting," Skea said. "I encourage member governments to spare no effort to find consensus and reach a decision." The IPCC assessments are published every five to seven years and involve thousands of scientists who work voluntarily to compile the mammoth reports.

Government ministers from 35 mostly European and small-island nations signed a letter Friday criticising "those whose entrenched interests are at odds with reducing greenhouse gases". "Divorcing the policy cycle under the United Nations from the scientific evidence provided by the IPCC would undermine the global effort to address the climate crisis and weaken international cooperation," they said.

"As climate impacts intensify, deaths and damage rise, and we face the perilous prospect of a Super El Nino, it is more important than ever that our fight against climate change is informed by the latest and best available science." Those arguing for a delay say more time is needed for developing countries in particular to digest the thousands of pages of technical scientific findings.

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