This report has been compiled by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General to bring together the latest climate science related updates from a group of key global partner organizations: WMO, Global Carbon Project (GCP), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO), the Met Office (United Kingdom, UK) and the jointly sponsored WMO/Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO/International Science Council (ISC) and World Climate Research Programme (WCRP).
The scale of recent changes across the climate system as a whole are unprecedented over many centuries to many thousands of years. Even with ambitious action to slow greenhouse gas emissions, sea levels will continue to rise and threaten low-lying islands and coastal populations throughout the world, according to the report.
“This is a critical year for climate action. This report by the United Nations and global scientific partner organizations provides a holistic assessment of the most recent climate science. The result is an alarming appraisal of just how far off course we are,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The content of each chapter is attributable to each respective entity. The chapters are as follows:
- Greenhouse Gas Concentrations in the Atmosphere – WMO Global Atmosphere Watch
- Global GHG Emissions and Budgets – GCP
- Global Climate in 2017–2021 – WMO
- Highlights of AR6: The Physical Science Basis – IPCC
- Heatwaves, Wildfires, and Air Pollution: Compounding and Cascading Climate Hazards to Health – WHO/WMO
- Sea-level Rise and Coastal Impacts – WCRP (WMO/IOC/ISC)
- Global Climate in 2021–2025 – WMO Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update – Met Office/WMO/WCRP
- Emissions Gap – UNEP