Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The UN body that assesses the science of climate change, its impacts and the options for responding to it. It was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the UN Environment Programme. It does not carry out its own research; it assesses published literature through cycles of assessment and special reports, whose Summaries for Policymakers are approved line by line by governments.

Why it matters in the room

IPCC findings are the shared evidence base of the negotiations. Benchmarks such as the emission reductions needed by 2030 and 2035 for 1.5°C come from its assessments, and their government-approved wording is routinely quoted in decisions.