Released on 9 August, the first part of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report is a “code red for humanity”, in the words of António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, which must “sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels”. However, there is still a small window of opportunity to slow or even reverse climate change if urgent action is taken to reduce emissions and capture carbon. As well as cutting CO₂ emissions, strong, rapid and sustained reductions in methane and other non-CO₂ GHG emissions are also recommended to limit global warming.

This is the first of several IPCC assessment chapters expected over the coming months in the run-up to COP26 and beyond, and the first major review of the science of climate change since 2013. The last IPCC review was instrumental in paving the way for the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, and the even stronger scientific advice contained in this update may be a game-changer for the climate negotiations in Glasgow this November.

NFU comment

The IPCC is clear that climate change is widespread, rapid and intensifying, so we must consider the impact this is having on food production, in the UK and worldwide.

We note that farming is not singled out by the IPCC as a source of emissions, but rather that this is a cross-sector challenge to industries and governments worldwide.

Policies such as the UK’s integrated water management strategy and our own NFU net zero ambition are important responses – so that we can better manage extreme weather events, lessen their impacts on farms and deliver a secure supply of quality, climate-friendly food.

For more information

Download our member-only NFU briefing: Greater certainty and greater urgency on climate change – the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report.