IPCC’s special report on the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate: What’s in it for Latin America?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate in September 2019. 

This publication offers a guide to the IPCC’s Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere prepared for decision-makers in Latin America by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), Overseas Development Institute (ODI), Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano and SouthSouthNorth (SSN). This is not an official IPCC publication.

The IPCC’s own Summary for Policy-Makers focuses principally on global issues and trends. This report distils the richest material available on Latin America from the more than 700 pages of the Special Report.

Some of the IPCC’s key messages, which are explored in the CDKN guide include:

• Climate change driven by human activity is changing the temperature and chemistry of the oceans.
• These changes harm marine life and people who depend on it.
• Sea level rise and other climate hazards increasingly affect Latin America.
• The frozen lands in the high mountains of Latin America are changing, with implications for society.
• The best way to limit changes in the oceans and cryosphere is to mitigate climate change.
• Early action reduces climate risks and costs less than dealing with future damages.
• Future-proofing coastal development will be essential.
• Environmental governance and management must join up across scales and address social issues.
• Communications, education and capacity building are critical.