IPCC Sixth Assessment Cycle:
Special Report on the Ocean andCryosphere in a Changing Climate(SROCC)An Introduction to the Report
COP24 - December 2018, Katowice, PolandDr. Hans-Otto Pörtner, IPCC WGII Co-Chair

IPCC Special Reports• Concerns issues that merit explicit consideration outside themain Assessment Reports• Are designed to address policy-relevant issues that may
require input from a wide range of disciplines (more thanone WG)• The outline builds on scientific questions that emerged fromthe government proposals for special reports

Background SROCC• IPCC invited proposals for Special Reports to be prepared andconcluded during AR6 cycle in July 2015 31 proposals were submitted
 7 of these focused on aspects of ocean andcryosphere• IPCC Panel agreed (April 2016) to consider a special report on
Climate Change and Oceans and Cryosphere to guide
adaptation activities and decision-making• developed under joint scientific leadership of WGI and WGIIOcean & Cryosphere in a Global Context• The Ocean
 covers >70% of earth‘s surface

 plays a key role in climate regulation,
weather system and global carbon cycle
 carries ~50% of global primary andoxygen production
 supports immense biodiversity
 provides important social and economic
goods and services (tourism, fisheries,transport (90%), etc)

Ocean & Cryosphere in a Global Context• The Cryosphere (“Frozen World“)
 is ~2% of the world‘s water storage, with~11% of the world‘s land surface and 7%of ocean surface are covered withmultiyear snow and ice
 includes Antarctic and Greenland ice
sheets, sea ice, snow covers, mountainglaciers and ground ice plays a key role in river runoff, sea levelrise, ocean-atmosphere exchange,permafrost methane storage, etc.

Purpose of SROCC• Provide a focussed cross-cutting assessment of:
The role of oceans and cryosphere in the climate
system - observed and projected changes in oceans
and cryosphere, ocean cryosphere interactions

Risks, vulnerability, impacts and implications ofclimate-related ocean and cryosphere change fornatural and human systems, e.g. sea level riseResilience pathways and adaptation options• Present new and updated information for decision-makers toinform the design and implementation of appropriate policies
and actions.

Scoping• Outline developed at Scoping
Meeting in Monaco (December2016)• 62 experts were invited to discuss
all aspects of the scope, outline,
and contents of the report• Outline agreed and adopted by
IPCC Panel in April 2017

SROCC Outline
1. Framing and Context of the Report
2. High Mountain Areas

3. Polar Regions
4. Sea level rise and implications for low lying islands, coasts
and communities

5. Changing ocean, marine ecosystems, and dependentcommunities
6. Extremes, abrupt changes and managing risks+ Cross-chapter box: Low-lying islands and coasts

IPCC Writing and Review Process= Lead Author Meetings (LAMs)= We are here

SROCC Timeline= We are here

Lead Author Meetings
4th LAM
Kazan (Russian Federation)
Mar 2019

3rd LAM
Lanzhou (China)
July 2018

2nd LAM
Quito (Ecuador)Feb 2018

1st LAM
Nadi (Fiji)Oct 2017

Registrations are open to participate
in the Expert and Government Review

Thank You For Your Attention
More Information:

http://www.ipcc.ch/report/srocc

14

Special Reports in IPCC AR6Climate Change and Land

Oceans and Cryosphere(SRCCL)

in a Changing Climate(SROCC)

IPCC, 2018

IPCC, 2019

IPCC, 2019

Timeline for upcoming reports
Sept 2018

Sept 2019

April 2021

Oct 2021

April 2022

Globalwarming of
1.5 oC

Oceanand Cryosphere

WGI
Physical ScienceBasis

WGII
Climate Change
Impacts,
Adaptation andVulnerability

Synthesis
Report

UNFCCC
Facilitative
dialogue

Land

WGIII
Mitigation of
Climate Change

UNFCCC
GlobalStocktake 2023

Sept 2019

July 2021

2023= We are here

Links to AR6 WGII
AR6 WGII Outline:• SECTION 1: Risks, adaptation andsustainability for systems impacted
by climate change (INCLUDES OCEAN
CHAPTER)• SECTION 2: Regions

IPCC Sixth Assessment
Report (AR6)
WGII Contribution:Impacts, Adaptation, andVulnerability• SECTION 3: Sustainable development
pathways: integrating adaptation andmitigation• CROSS-CHAPTER PAPERS

IPCC, 2021

SECTION 2: Regions (Chapters 9-15)
each considering regional oceans
9. Africa [~50 pages]
10. Asia [~50 pages]

11. Australasia [~30 pages]
12. Central and South America [~50 pages]

13. Europe [~40 pages]
14. North America [~40 pages]
15. Small Islands [~30 pages]

Cross-Chapter Papers• built by chapter authors with material for Technical
Summary / Summary for Policymakers as appropriate• integrating sectors, regions and updating from SpecialReports• Biodiversity hotspots (land, coasts and oceans)• Cities and settlements by the sea• Deserts, semi-arid areas, and desertification• Mediterranean region• Mountains• Polar regions• Tropical forests

SECTION 3: Sustainable development
pathways: integrating adaptation andmitigation (chapters 16-18)
16. Key risks across sectors and regions
17. Decision-making options for managing risk
18. Climate resilient development pathways©H.O. Pörtner©H.O. Pörtner

SROCC LINKS TO AR6 WGIISROCC•

High Mountain Areas•

Polar Regions•Sea Level Rise

AR6 WGII Cross-ChapterPapers•

Changing Oceans•

Extremes, Changes, Risks•

Biodiversity Hotspots•[Low-Lying Islands &•Cities & Settlements by theSea•

Deserts, Semi-arid Areas,

AR6 WGII RegionalChapters•

ResponsesCoasts]•

Sectoral Risks•

Cultural & Psychological
Dimensions& Desertification•

Mediterranean regions•

Mountains•

Polar Regions•

Tropical Forests

Detection & Attribution,•Impacts & Risks (incl.
Extremes & Sea Level Rise)•

Adaptation Options•Governance & EconomicAspects•

Sustainable Development

Author Teams• Experts nominated: 519• Experts selected: 106

GenderCountries

28%

IPCC Experience
31%

35%

72%

MalesFemales

65%

69%

Developing & EiTDevelopedExperience
No Experience

IPCC Writing and Review Process= Lead Author Meetings (LAMs)