Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Chair Jim Skea has urged governments attending COP31 to resolve a deadlock over the schedule and budget for the panel’s next major scientific assessments, warning that delays are disrupting researchers’ work and threatening the timely delivery of critical climate findings.
Speaking at the ceremonial opening of COP31 on Monday, Skea said governments had yet to agree on the timetable and funding for three major reports under the IPCC’s Seventh Assessment Report (AR7).
The assessments will cover the physical science of climate change, its impacts and adaptation, and options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Skea said uncertainty over the schedule was making it difficult for volunteer scientists to plan their work alongside professional and personal commitments. Researchers still do not know what will be expected of them in early 2027, he added.
Governments will have another opportunity to resolve the dispute when the IPCC resumes its suspended plenary session on December 1. The meeting is expected to address the assessment timetable and budget for 2027 and beyond.
“Climate action without climate science is like a ship without a rudder,” Skea told delegates, stressing that scientific evidence must remain central to global climate policy.
The IPCC’s assessment reports provide governments with scientific evidence to guide climate policies, emissions targets and adaptation strategies, as well as international negotiations under the Paris Agreement.
Despite the uncertainty, Skea urged countries not to delay stronger climate action while waiting for the next assessments, saying existing scientific findings could support stronger commitments and faster implementation.
The three reports are at different stages of preparation. The physical science assessment is being revised before government and expert review. The expert review of the impacts and adaptation report is scheduled to close on December 4, while review of the emissions reduction report is due to begin on November 16.
The IPCC also plans to publish three reports in 2027. These include a special report on climate change and cities, scheduled for an approval session in March, and two reports setting out methodologies for governments to report greenhouse gas emissions and removals under the UN climate convention.
The methodologies are intended to improve the consistency, transparency and comparability of national emissions reporting.
For climate-vulnerable countries such as Bangladesh, timely assessments are important for understanding future risks, strengthening adaptation plans and informing development decisions.
The December 1 plenary will be a key test of whether governments can overcome their differences and keep the Seventh Assessment Report on schedule.
