How does the IPCC Special Report on Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate inform decision-makers?

Hans Poertner, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, WGII Co-Chair, Alfred Wegener Institute, Bremen, Germany and Katja Mintenbeck, Alfred Wegener Institute, Bremen, Germany; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, WGII Technical Support Unit, Alfred Wegener Institute, Bremen, Germany
Abstract:
The IPCC Special Report on Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) assesses risks and impacts (i.e. manifested risk) resulting from climate-related changes in the ocean and cryosphere. The term Risk” refers to the potential for adverse effects and is the results of the interaction between environmental hazards, exposure of human or ecosystems, and systems’ vulnerability. The IPCC risk assessment is the ultimate basis for the development and assessment of response options to reduce the risk. For the projection and assessment of future risks, different (standardised) emission scenarios are used and analysed in SROCC.

IPCC reports assess the current state of knowledge to inform decision-making; they aim to be policy-relevant but not policy prescriptive. To best and most neutrally inform policy-makers communication of the degree of certainty in assessment findings is essential. Accordingly, the IPCC developed a calibrated uncertainty language which is used in all IPCC reports the indicate the degree of certainty of a particular finding.

This presentation aims to provide an overview on the major framework and tools used in SROCC to assess and communicate risks and impacts to decision makers and summarizes the respective key messages.

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