WORLD VIEW
23 May 2023
Against climate hypocrisy: why the IPCC needs its own net-zero target
A robust strategy to slash the IPCC’s carbon emissions would be a testbed for international climate policy — and serve as an example of effective action.
Benjamin M. Sanderson
In April, I flew to Bangkok for the final meeting of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Cycle (AR6). My return flight to Stockholm emitted more carbon than any one person in the lowest-emitting 50% of the global population contributes in an entire year.
The latest AR6 synthesis report (see go.nature.com/4hfkzpc) concludes that rapid, deep and immediate emissions reductions are needed to maintain a liveable world. But this powerful messaging is diluted by the IPCC’s actions.
The IPCC should aggressively limit its own emissions instead of requiring in-person sessions and the attendant long-haul flights. Although meetings contribute only a tiny fraction of total global emissions, improving accountability would have an outsized impact on the IPCC’s effectiveness, and would be a case study for robust, internationally coordinated mitigation.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01707-5
