Climate Change 2023 Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The 2023 IPCC Synthesis Report offers a comprehensive assessment of climate change, synthesising findings from its three Working Groups and three Special Reports. It highlights the unequivocal role of human activities in driving global warming, with greenhouse gas emissions reaching unprecedented levels. The report underscores that limiting global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C requires immediate, deep, and sustained reductions in emissions across all sectors. The impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and biodiversity loss, are already widespread and severe.

Adaptation is essential to reduce vulnerability, but the effectiveness of adaptation measures diminishes with increased warming. The report calls for transformative changes in energy, land use, infrastructure, and economic systems to achieve a sustainable, low-carbon future. Equity, climate justice, and the inclusion of indigenous knowledge are emphasised as critical for effective climate action. The window to secure a livable future is closing rapidly, making this decade crucial for decisive global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change.