The IPCC report put together by scientists and government representatives is expected to add pressure to address issues like finance, adaptation and loss and damage, underpinning equity and climate justice.

The Inter-governmental Panel Climate Change will, on Monday, release the next part of its 6th assessment report.

The Working Group II report on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability is scheduled to be made public on 28 February after a virtual approval session. It will summarise the latest scientific understanding on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, outlining how climatic hazards and risks will increase with warming, with considerations of sustainable development, aspects of justice and equity, and the action needed to take to build resilience.

This will be the second of three major reports from IPCC and is expected to provide an assessment of how life on earth is affected by rising temperatures.

Since their previous assessment in 2014, the situation has, in many ways, become worse. Earlier this month, NOAA warned the years 2013-2021 all rank among the ten-warmest years on record.

“The reality of the climate crisis has become more personal and political than ever, while the reality of inequities has become more blatant too,” said Greenpeace Climate Expert, Kaisa Kosonen.

“We expect the report to show the extent to which warming has increased climatic hazards, and how limits to adaptation are already being reached, which disproportionately impacts communities in already vulnerable situations who are also the least responsible for the crisis,” Kosonen added.

For activists like Kosonen, the report will make the lack of action and commitment from high-emitters more evident. Greenpeace, among other global environment groups, has often referred to the need for urgent emission cuts and climate justice, together with investments in adaptation, building equity, compensating for and insuring against losses and damages and fostering resilient development pathways where everyone can participate.

Social justice, equity

The IPCC report put together by scientists and government representatives is expected to add pressure to address issues like finance, adaptation and loss and damage, underpinning equity and climate justice.

It will add to the discourse following the 1.5°C warming limit from the Paris Agreement and can frame the narrative towards COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt later in 2022.

The report is expected to address, among other things:

• • • How warming is already impacting us and the world we live in, including ecosystems and their services, with current and committed levels of warming and sea-level rise.
    • How climate impacts and risks will increase with further warming, and how different development pathways exacerbate or mitigate those risks.
    • How and to what extent impacts and risks can be managed and reduced, acknowledging limits to adaptation, and the loss and damage that occurs beyond those limits.
    • Who are particularly vulnerable to climate impacts and risks and why, and how those vulnerabilities can be reduced and resilience built.
    • Solution frameworks with a specific focus on climate resilient development pathways.
    • The role of social justice, equity and different forms of expertise in climate-resilient development, with broadened attention given to aspects of climate justice.
    • The particular situation of coastal communities; cities and settlements by the sea.

Working Group II report will be followed by another IPCC report in April, Working Group III contribution to the 6th Assessment Report, that will assess ways to mitigate climate change.

A synthesis report (SYR) of the work done by Working Groups I, II and III and the previous special reports will be published in October. It will provide an overview of the state of knowledge on the science of climate change.