Quick questions on Global climate science and the IPCC: HSC Investigating Science Module 8

Every 5 to 7 years, each working group produces an Assessment Report.

The most recent full assessment cycle.

Australian researchers have been lead authors on every Working Group across every Assessment Report since 1990.

Despite the IPCC's rigour, actual policy has lagged the scientific findings. Global emissions have continued rising; the world is on track for 2.5 to 3 degrees Celsius warming by 2100 on current policies, not 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius.

Its function is to assess the existing peer-reviewed literature. Researchers around the world publish climate findings; the IPCC synthesises them.

Hundreds of climate scientists from member countries are selected as Coordinating Lead Authors (CLAs) and Lead Authors (LAs). The selection follows nomination by countries and IPCC bureau decisions.

Drafts are reviewed by hundreds more expert reviewers from around the world.

Member governments review the drafts and have the right to comment on every line.

The most policy-relevant findings are summarised. Governments review and agree on the SPM language line by line in a plenary session. The full technical chapters cannot be modified by governments, but the SPM language is negotiated to ensure all member countries can endorse it.

Full reports plus SPM are released. The SPM is widely cited in policy; the technical chapters provide the underlying detail.

Final integrated assessment. Cited approximately 14,000 peer-reviewed papers.

Every relevant peer-reviewed paper is considered.

The process is open. Drafts are publicly available.

Hundreds of experts plus member governments review each report.

The IPCC tends to underestimate rather than overestimate climate impacts; its findings are typically the lower bound of plausible scenarios.