QUNO Geneva Representative Lindsey Fielder Cook participated in the 65th Plenary Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 12 to 16 October 2026, under the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC). As an accredited observer to the IPCC, QUNO engaged in discussions on the future of the IPCC’s Seventh Assessment Report (AR7), the organization’s budget, and the role of science in informing urgent climate action.
The IPCC Plenary meeting was dramatic and suspended on Friday night.
A detailed report available below contains an analysis of the discussions, political dynamics, outcomes, and QUNO interventions. The unresolved questions surrounding the IPCC budget and AR7 timeline demonstrate the increasing political pressures facing climate science institutions. Despite these challenges, the Plenary reaffirmed the continued importance of the IPCC’s role in providing authoritative, policy-relevant scientific assessments. At a time when demand for credible, independent scientific assessment has never been greater, ensuring that the IPCC remains adequately funded and able to fulfil its mandate is essential.
QUNO will continue working with governments, scientists, and civil society partners to support the integrity of the assessment process and ensure that climate science remains accessible, credible, and responsive to the needs of present and future generations.
Building on the call for courage and compromise at the IPCC’s 65th Plenary Session, we are resharing a previous QUNO publication, ‘A Government Official’s Toolkit: Inspiring Urgent, Healthy, and Equitable Climate Action’ (2024 Edition), as a source of information and inspiration. It is available to read and download in Arabic, English, French and Spanish.
