Events

MINSK, 29 August (BelTA) – The international conference of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that opened in Minsk on 29 August will discuss the development of new IPCC methodology report, Belarus’ Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Protection Andrei Kovkhuto told the media, BelTA has learned.

It is a great honor for Belarus to host the experts of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, especially since it is their first meeting since the Protocol of the Paris Agreement was signed. A new three-year period is beginning, during which experts will be working to prepare the documents on the methodology basics to control the climate change,” the minister said.

Andrei Kovkhuto said that the meeting is attended by more than 150 experts from 195 countries of the world, including representatives of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia. “Minsk has been chosen the host of the event thanks, among other things, to a significant contribution of Belarusian experts to the work of the IPCC. For example, they have prepared the materials on the impact of the marshes and organic soils on the climate change. Belarus is doing a lot to preserve the environment and reduce the impact of manufacturing on climate,” he said.

The IPCC International Conference will be running in Minsk till 2 September. Experts are set to discuss the development of the new IPCC methodology report. This is the first meeting in the three-year process of preparation of the IPCC document. Work is scheduled for completion by May 2019.

This is the first event of the IPCC in Belarus since 1988 (since the Group was set up). The international conference in Belarus will help draw more attention to the problem of the climate change and environmental issues in general. The event will also help enhance Belarus’ image in the international arena.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the international body for assessing the science related to climate change. The IPCC was set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to provide policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

The Paris Agreement is an agreement within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) governing carbon dioxide reduction measures from 2020. The agreement was negotiated during the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in Paris and adopted by consensus on 12 December 2015. All countries are expected to adopt their own national targets to reduce emissions, to promote technological upgrade and adapt to the climate change. The agreement includes a global stocktake starting in 2023 to assess the collective progress towards the goals of the agreement. The stocktake will be done every five years. Countries will aim to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2°C by 2100, with an ideal target of keeping temperature rise below 1.5°C.