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Summary Highlights

Highlights for Sunday, 12 May 2019

The 49th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-49) concluded Sunday, 12 May, and adopted the Overview Chapter of the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2019 Refinement) and accepted the underlying report. A small number of delegates registered their objection to what they considered inconsistent treatment in the report of fugitive emissions from oil and gas exploration on the one hand and coal exploration on the other. Following lengthy discussions on how to reflect the lack of consensus in the decision text, the Panel agreed to refer to Principle 10(b), which sets out the procedure when there are differing views and consensus cannot be reached, and to include the text of the principle in a footnote.

IPCC-49 also adopted decisions on:

• the terms of reference of the Task Group on Gender Policy and Gender Implementation Plan;
• guidance to the Board of Trustees on the use of the IPCC Scholarship Programme Fund;
• beginning preparatory work during the sixth assessment cycle for a methodological report on short-lived climate forcers to be completed during the seventh assessment cycle; and
• the Trust Fund Programme and Budget.

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Highlights for Saturday, 11 May 2019

IPCC-49 continued its work on Saturday, discussing the results of contact groups and informal discussions on the IPCC Scholarship Programme, short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs), the Task Force on Gender, and the Task Group on the Organization of the Future Work of the IPCC in light of the Global Stocktake.

Participants also discussed outstanding issues related to the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2019 Refinement).

Multiple informal discussions took place throughout the day.

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Highlights for Friday, 10 May 2019

IPCC-49 continued its work on Friday, discussing the IPCC Scholarship Programme, short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs), the Trust Fund Programme and Budget, and the Ad Hoc Task Group on Financial Stability. Participants heard progress reports on the Special Reports on oceans and on land, and on the WG contributions to the Sixth Assessment Report.

The Plenary also discussed outstanding issues related to the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2019 Refinement).

Multiple contact groups convened throughout the day and in the evening.

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Highlights for Thursday, 9 May 2019

The 49th Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-49) continued on 9 May 2019 in Kyoto, Japan. Participants continued discussing the overview chapter of the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 Guidelines on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2019 Refinement) in the morning and afternoon.

In the afternoon, the Plenary also addressed, inter alia:

• issues related to the Task Group on Data Support for Climate Change Assessment (TG-Data);
• the Progress Report on Communications and Outreach Activities
• and Admission of Observer Organizations.

Contact groups convened during the day and evening on, inter alia, gender and outstanding issues related to overview chapter of the 2019 Refinement.

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Highlights for Wednesday, 8 May 2019

The 49th Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-49) opened on 8 May 2019 in Kyoto, Japan. Hoesung Lee, IPCC Chair, welcomed the expected approval of the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 Guidelines on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, noting that this will ensure that the methodology used to determine national inventories is based on the latest science.

Via video, Yoshiaki Harada, Minister of Environment, Japan, noted Japan’s goal of creating a model of a “virtuous cycle” for environment and growth, while ensuring quality of life and sustainable society. Jian Liu, Chief Scientist, UNEP, thanked Japan for its leadership on combating climate change, noting the importance of the City of Kyoto as the birthplace of the Kyoto Protocol. Florin Vladu, UNFCCC Secretariat, emphasized the importance of the 2019 Guidelines to enhance transparency and trust in multilateralism.

During the day, the IPCC discussed:

• the IPCC Trust Fund Programme and Budget;
• the report of the IPCC Task Group on Gender;
• a progress report on the Task Group on the Organization of the Future Work of the IPCC in light of the Global Stocktake; and
• the Overview Chapter of the 2019 Refinement.

In the evening, participants attended a cultural event and reception hosted by the Government of Japan.