July 29, 2014

expert reaction to Energy and Climate Change Committee report on IPCC

The Energy and Climate Change Committee published a report on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report, reviewing Working Group I.

Prof Joanna Haigh, President of the Royal Meteorological Society and Co-Director Grantham Institute, Imperial College, said:

“The Energy and Climate Change Committee report on the Working Group 1 contribution to the IPCC 5th Assessment Report is published today. Having assessed a significant quantity of submitted evidence, both written and oral, it is overwhelmingly supportive of both the procedures and the conclusions of the IPCC. It concludes that the WG1 report is the best available summary of the state of the science of climate change, that improvements to IPCC procedures since the 4th Assessment have ensured “the highest Quality of scholarship” and that there is no scientific basis for downgrading UK’s ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In terms of procedures it recommends two areas of further improvement – the appointment by governments of some non-climate scientists as members of the Executive Committee, and to observe the review process, and a greater level of transparency in plenary meetings discussing the Summary for Policymakers – but these recommendations in no way reflect concern about the content of the Assessment. A whole chapter of the report is devoted to examining criticisms that have been levelled, from both inside and outside the scientific community, on the scientific conclusions but none is found to have significant bearing.

Such a robust report from an all party parliamentary committee surely means that we can now reduce efforts spent on dealing with the constituencies working to discredit the IPCC, concentrate on understanding the science behind climate and climate change and do our best to make sure that the government plays a leading role in achieving a global deal on climate change.”

Prof Rowan Sutton, Lead Author, Working Group 1 contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Reading, said:

“I welcome the publication of this report which confirms unambiguously the robustness of the IPCC process and the science of climate change. The atmosphere and oceans are getting warmer; Arctic ice is melting and sea levels are rising. CO2 levels are at their highest for almost a million years, and it’s clear that man is to blame for these record levels.”

Prof Nigel Arnell, Director of the Walker Institute at the University of Reading, and a Lead Author for the IPCC’s Working Group II report on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation, said:

“The Adaptation Sub-Committee Report published earlier this month showed how the UK is exposed to increasing climate risks. Today’s House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee report has emphasised how the basic science behind the ASC’s conclusion is robust, and that the computer models we use to project potential future global climate change are credible. We now need to work out how best to estimate future risks to the UK –and indeed elsewhere – to help us most effectively plan our adaptations to changing risk.”

Prof Sir Brian Hoskins, Director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change, Imperial College London, said:

“The Committee recognises that the recent WGp 1 report of IPCC gives a very good summary of the science relevant to climate change, whilst there are some remaining issues on transparency.

The question now is how do we respond to the risk posed by climate change, and I am pleased to see that the Report is clear: it supports the basis for the advice given by the Climate Change Committee and the path the UK is taking towards its 2050 carbon reduction target, in particular the 4th C budget recently confirmed by Government,
it advises that the UK Government at the top level should play a major role in international discussions leading up to Paris 2015.”

Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy and the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, said:

“This report will make heart-breaking reading for climate change ‘sceptics’ who had hoped that their two cheerleaders on the committee would be able to deliver a report that attacked the IPCC. Some of the hearings during this inquiry would not have been out of place in the United States Congress, where Republicans regularly invite climate change ‘sceptics’ to promote conspiracy theories about the IPCC. But fortunately, in the end, the two ‘sceptic’ MPs were unable to persuade the other committee members to join them in condemning the IPCC reports. The evidence from the research community was simply too overwhelming to deny, and the committee had no choice than to wholeheartedly endorse the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report. However, the behaviour of the ‘sceptics’ on this committee provides yet more proof that there is a handful of MPs who try to use Parliament to promote unscientific ideas, such as astrology, homeopathy and climate change denial.”

* ‘Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report: Review of Working Group I contribution’ by Energy and Climate Change Committee was published  on Tuesday 29th July.

Declared interests

Prof Rowan Sutton was a lead author on the Working Group 1 contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report

Prof Nigel Arnell, was a Lead Author for the IPCC’s Working Group II report on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation