SEN meets United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group Co-chairs

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     The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, today (October 17) led representatives of relevant bureaux and departments to meet with two Working Group (WG) Co-chairs of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), namely Professor Panmao Zhai of WG I and Professor Hans-Otto Pörtner of WG II, during their visit to Hong Kong. 

     Following the presentation by the IPCC WG Co-chairs on the salient points of the three Special Reports published by the IPCC in the past year, Mr Wong and other government representatives exchanged views with the IPCC WG Co-chairs on the implications of the latest scientific findings of the reports for Hong Kong and further efforts required to meet the goal of the Paris Agreement.

     The three IPCC Special Reports are the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C that reports on impacts and global greenhouse gas emission pathways related to global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels; the Special Report on Climate Change and Land that explores the impact of climate change on land, and assesses how land management can contribute to addressing climate change and interact with food security; and the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate that assesses the impacts of climate change on ocean, coastal, polar and mountain ecosystems, consequences for human communities that depend on them, and options for adaptation and climate-resilient development.

     The IPCC was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme, with an aim of providing governments at all levels with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies. The IPCC work is shared among three WGs, a Task Force and Task Groups. WG I assesses the physical science of climate change; WG II looks after the impacts, adaptation and vulnerability aspects; and WG III covers mitigation of climate change.

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