The U.S. will skip an important climate meeting happening this week in China. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is expected to outline its upcoming report, and the absence of U.S. representation raises concerns.
Media reports indicate that the Trump administration has pulled the U.S. out of essential discussions related to a vital United Nations climate assessment. U.S. State Department officials will not attend the meeting in Hangzhou, where the IPCC plans to set timelines and budgets for its next reports, including the Seventh Assessment Report and a report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies.
Sources revealed that travel plans for the U.S. delegation were denied. Additionally, President Trump has directed federal scientists working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Global Change Research Program to halt any activities tied to IPCC climate assessments.
Johan Rockström, a prominent Earth scientist, criticized the U.S. decision, labeling it “irresponsible” and suggesting it will harm American science and society as a whole.
This decision aligns with the administration’s broader negative stance on climate change. Notably, the U.S. has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement, which aims to strengthen responses to climate change. Currently, the U.S., Iran, Libya, and Yemen are the only countries not participating in this global climate treaty, which was signed by 196 nations in 2015.
The IPCC is a key scientific body made up of 195 member countries and draws on contributions from thousands of experts worldwide. Established in 1988, it provides crucial assessments on climate change, its impacts, and recommendations for mitigation and adaptation measures.
A pivotal moment in climate science was the release of the “hockey stick” graph in the IPCC’s Third Assessment Report in 2001. This graph showed a significant rise in global temperatures, particularly at the end of the 20th century. Though it does not directly attribute this rise to human actions, it aligns with the scientific consensus that human activities, like burning fossil fuels, significantly contribute to global warming.
In 2007, the IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to increase understanding of human-induced climate change and its necessary countermeasures.
The IPCC’s latest report, released in 2022, warned that the planet is “more likely than not” to experience a 1.5°C rise in temperature, leading to severe and possibly irreversible changes. It emphasized that human actions have clearly caused global warming, resulting in record high levels of carbon dioxide and a 1.2°C increase in global temperatures since pre-industrial times.
The report cautioned that there is a rapidly closing window to secure a sustainable future for everyone. A survey of IPCC scientists conducted last year indicated that 77% believe humanity is on track for at least a 2.5°C increase in warming.
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