Climate change is a challenge that not only threatens Nepal’s future development potential. It could also undermine significant development gains that have been achieved in previous decades. Climate change impacts are expected to increase poverty levels in high mountain states, mainly through channels such as diminished food security, the depletion and destruction of assets, which in the end can become poverty traps for parts of the population. Climate change is also a critical stressor that interacts with other stressors such as high levels of poverty, low human development, and high inequality, as well as with cultural and institutional factors that shape development outcomes.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) brings together the latest scientific evidence on climate change and assesses the literature with a view to provide policymakers with policy relevant input. The IPCC’s work is organised along three working groups (WG): WG1 on the Physical Science basis, WG2 on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, and WG3 on Mitigation. These working groups completed their work for the AR5 in mid-2014, and preparations for the synthesis report are underway.

The AR5 has been adopted at a time crucial for Nepal, both from the perspective of the international climate change negotiations and in view of Nepal’s domestic policy context: On the one hand, Nepal needs to be equipped to shape the design of the emerging international climate change architecture, a responsibility that has become more salient as Nepal holds the current Chair of the Least Developed Countries Group; On the other hand, Nepal’s new Constituent Assembly, elected in November 2013, provides a fresh opportunity for policymakers to address climate change, as it allows wider institutional arrangements and coordination activities to be discussed and institutionalised. Accordingly, the insights from the IPCC are valuable for Nepalese policymakers.

The 1.5°C limit and risks of overshoot

This briefing looks at what the 1.5°C limit means in terms of adaptation and loss and damage for the most vulnerable countries and regions. It finds that slowing down warming is critical to buy us time to adapt and also to avoid irreversible loss and damage. Even if warming rises above 1.5°C (overshoot) we can bring it down again with ambitious emissions reductions.

Le seuil de +1,5°C et le risque de dépassement de ce seuil

Ce rapport examine ce que la limite de 1,5 °C signifie en termes d'adaptation et de pertes et dommages pour les pays et régions les plus vulnérables. Il constate qu'il est essentiel de ralentir le réchauffement pour nous donner le temps de nous adapter et pour éviter des pertes et des dommages irréversibles. Même si le réchauffement dépasse 1,5 °C, nous pouvons le faire baisser à nouveau en réduisant les émissions de manière ambitieuse.

Effects of idealised land cover and land management changes on the atmospheric water cycle

This study investigates how land cover and land management affects atmospheric moisture transport using global climate models. It finds that cropland expansion is generally causing a drying and reduced local moisture recycling, while afforestation and irrigation expansion generally cause wetting and increased local moisture recycling.

Submission to the Australian Treasury consultation on the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax

As the gas industry in Australia has grown exponentially, the profit taxes it pays to the government have proportionally plummeted, presenting an opportunity to change this regime. Here, we respond to the Australian Government Treasury consultation on the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) – anti-avoidance provisions and clarifying treatment of ‘exploration’ and Mining, Quarrying or Prospecting Rights.

Kipppunkte und kaskadische Kippdynamiken im Klimasystem

Dieser im Auftrag des deutschen Umweltbundesamtes erstellte Bericht befasst sich mit Kippelementen - sensible Komponenten des Erdsystems, die bei Überschreiten kritischer Schwellenwerte (Kipppunkte) irreversiblen Veränderungen ausgesetzt werden können. Er unterstreicht, dass selbstverstärkende Mechanismen zwischen diesen Elementen zu schnellen, irreversiblen Veränderungen führen können.

About us

Decarbonisation targets and 1.5℃ pathways

Comment

The IPCC’s fifth assessment report and its implications for Nepal

Publications

The 1.5°C limit and risks of overshoot

Hydrologic interpretation of machine learning models for 10-daily streamflow simulation in climate sensitive upper Indus catchments

Le seuil de +1,5°C et le risque de dépassement de ce seuil

Representing natural climate variability in an event attribution context: Indo-Pakistani heatwave of 2022

Extreme terrestrial heat in 2023

Climate impacts in northern forests

Effects of idealised land cover and land management changes on the atmospheric water cycle

A better integration of health and economic impact assessments of climate change

Tripling renewables by 2030: interpreting the global goal at the regional level

Submission to the Australian Treasury consultation on the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax

Kipppunkte und kaskadische Kippdynamiken im Klimasystem

Hitzestress und Anpassungsmaßnahmen in der Metropolregion Berlin-Brandenburg