As weather enthusiasts, we care deeply about the state of our planet and the living beings that inhabit it. Climate change is an issue that we all need to be aware of in order to play our part in preserving the Earth, our beautiful home. Luckily, there is an intergovernmental organization that is tasked with keeping the world informed about the state of our planet and how our behavior is affecting it: they are called the IPCC. This article contains a complete climate change IPCC report list with downloads.
What is the IPCC?
The IPCC, short for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is a body within the United Nations that is responsible for scientifically assessing the effects of human-induced climate change and providing governments with methodologies for mitigating those effects. The IPCC has been conducting scientific studies and releasing reports on an ongoing basis since 1990. As climate change poses an ever increasing threat to our planet, their work has become evermore important in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the integrity of our ecosystems. Their contributions are, furthermore, vital for protecting us and future generations from the catastrophes that climate change may bring about if we do not take meaningful action to reverse the current trajectory.
Climate Change IPCC Report List
The table below is a complete list of everything the IPCC has ever released in chronological order, which will provide you with a concise overview of the IPCC’s entire body of work. The most significant documents are the Assessment Reports, of which there are 5 completed, with the 6th scheduled to be released in 2021. In addition to the Assessment Reports, there are Special Reports and Methodology Reports. Included in the rightmost column are download links for the full reports in .pdf form, except for a few, which are not available at this time (see the notes on how to access these documents). Do note that each Assessment Report contains multiple documents that have been compressed in .zip format. If you are looking for a detailed breakdown of each of these reports, you can refer to the official IPCC website. There, you will find more individualized resources.
| Release Date | Title | Report Type | Notes | Download Zip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2021 - June 2022 | 6th Assessment Report | Assessment Report | Not yet released. | |
| September 2019 | The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate | Special Report | download full report | |
| August 2019 | Climate Change and Land | Special Report | download full report | |
| May 2019 | 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories | Methodology Report | ||
| October 2018 | Global Warming of 1.5°C | Special Report | download full report | |
| September 2013 - October 2014 | 5th Assessment Report | Assessment | Contains multiple documents consisting of synthesis & working group reports. | download full report (zip file) |
| March 2012 | Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation | Special Report | download full report | |
| April 2011 | Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation | Special Report | download full report | |
| June 2007 - September 2007 | 4th Assessment Report | Assessment | Contains multiple documents consisting of synthesis & working group reports. | download full report (zip file) |
| May 2006 | 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories | Methodology Report | ||
| March 2005 | Safeguarding the Ozone Layer and the Global Climate System | Special Report | download full report | |
| March 2005 | Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage | Special Report | download full report | |
| January 2001 - October 2001 | 3rd Assessment Report | Assessment | Contains multiple documents consisting of synthesis & working group reports. | download full report (zip file) |
| March 2000 | Methodological and Technological Issues in Technology Transfer | Special Report | download full report | |
| March 2000 | Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry | Special Report | download full report | |
| March 1999 | Aviation and the Global Atmosphere | Special Report | download full report | |
| March 1997 | The Regional Impacts of Climate Change: An Assessment of Vulnerability | Special Report | Purchase through the Cambridge University Press website. Or view HTML version at the IPCC archives website. |
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| May 1996 | Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories | Methodology Report | Contains multiple documents available only through the IPCC archives website. | |
| February 1995 - June 1996 | 2nd Assessment Report | Assessment | Contains multiple documents consisting of synthesis & working group reports. | download full report (zip file) |
| May 1994 | 1994 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories | Methodology Report | 1994 – 3 volumes, OUT OF PRINT, replaced by 1996 Revised Guidelines (see above). | |
| March 1994 | Climate Change 1994: Radiative Forcing of Climate Change and An Evaluation of the IPCC IS92 Emission Scenarios | Special Report | download | |
| March 1994 | IPCC Technical Guidelines for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations | Special Report | download full report | |
| March 1990 - October 1990 | 1st Assessment Report | Assessment | Contains multiple documents consisting of synthesis & working group reports. | download full report (zip file) |
Assessment Reports Highlights
- First Assessment Report (March 1990 – October 1990)
- Established that humans are contributing substantially to rising global temperatures through activities that emit greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide
- Second Assessment Report (February 1995 – June 1996)
- Concluded that global climate conditions had indeed changed over the past century
- Presented discernible evidence between anthropogenic (human-related) and natural greenhouse gas emissions, showing that anthropogenic causes where more significant than natural ones
- Noted that aerosols were also a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions
- Third Assessment Report (January 2001 – October 2001)
- Observed that the 1990s was the warmest decade in recorded history
- Suggested that global temperatures are rising at the fastest rate in 10,000 years
- Concluded that ecosystems and species are vulnerable to the effects of climate change and that some will inevitably be lost
- Determined with 66% certainty that human activities have been the main cause of global warming since the 1950s.
- Proposed methods for mitigating the damaging effects of climate change, such as building levees in response to the rising sea level
- Fourth Assessment Report
- Confirmed increased global air temperatures, the widespread melting of snow and ice and rising sea levels
- Confirmed that it is over 90% probable that humans have been the main reason for the rise of global temperatures
- Determined that human-induced warming and sea level rise would continue for centuries even if greenhouse gas emissions were stabilized immediately
- Observed that it was possible to avoid many impacts of climate change through sufficient adaptation measures, some of which had already begun to take place
- Concluded that, if left unaddressed, climate change would most likely exceed our capacity to adapt in the future
- Fifth Assessment Report
- Confirmed that concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere have increased to levels not seen in 800,000 years
- Determined that the current rate of global greenhouse gas emissions is not consistent to pre-industrial levels
- Determined that the way we use land is contributing to 23% of our total GHG emissions
- Suggested that the likelihood of irreversible damage is increasing
- Concluded with 95-100% certainty that human activities were the main cause of global warming between 1951-2010
- Sixth Assessment Report
- To be released in 2021
How This Information Relates to Local Weather Conditions
The climate change IPCC report list above represents irrefutable scientific evidence that humans are contributing to the rise in greenhouse gas emissions, and by doing so, directly accelerating the effects of climate change. Our current trajectory indicates that sea levels will continue to rise due to melting ice in Earth’s polar regions, resulting in the most damage in and around coastal communities first. The effects of rising temperatures may also set off a chain of severe weather events that further compound the damage. As the severity and frequency of storms increase, not only will it hurt humans directly, it also will have negative consequences on our economies and threaten our food systems with mass depletion. Last, the combination of these effects will make it harder for us to fight the spread of infectious diseases.
As you can see, climate change is something that effects every individual no matter where you reside. In order to battle it, it will require every individual to take action in whatever capacity they are capable of.
How to Protect Your Family and Stay Ahead of the Weather
The best way to protect yourself from the perils of climate change is to stay informed about local weather patterns. Home weather stations and indoor/outdoor thermometers can be useful tools for keeping track of climactic conditions if used properly, especially if you live in near the coast. Dressing appropriately is another important factor in keeping you and your family safe. Most importantly, however, playing an active role in reducing your own carbon footprint and inspiring others to follow your example is the most effective long-term investment one can make to ensure the safety of our planet as a whole.
What Can We Do About Climate Change?
One of the greatest challenges humanity has always faced is the mindset that, as individuals, we are small and our actions have no impact on the greater good. While is it true that, from a statistical standpoint, the carbon footprint of a single person is negligible in the face of humanity’s footprint as a whole, it is logically fallacious to use that as an argument for not taking personal responsibility.
While we may be tempted to lay the blame on major corporations that release massive amounts of carbon emissions in the atmosphere, as grown men and women, we should not rely on powerful people to fix every problem for us. The fact of the matter is that we, the people, support the men and women in the government as well as in the private sector. We support them by our day to day actions – the actions we so often do not notice because we never gave them any thought. Some of these actions are difficult to avoid, such as filling up our gas tanks or buying products made of plastic.
In reality, however, there are countless ways to contribute towards the fight against the negative impacts of climate change. The point is not to make extreme lifestyle changes that disrupt your wellbeing. Rather, it is to commit to the changes that are within reason and stick with them; to ignore the naysayers and cynics and lead by example. Cut back on plastic, eat less meat (yes, farm animals are a major contributor to climate change), ride your bike to work when possible, vote for leaders that support environmental protection… you get the idea. People may scoff and call you self-righteous, but why care? Just do what you can and people will eventually come to their senses. There’s really no better way to go about this!