The Australian government has begun its review of the latest draft of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report, pledging ‘‘an open and comprehensive approach’’ as it taps selected input.
The review will draw on comments from experts, state and territory governments, industry groups and research organisation, the government said in a statement.
“IPCC Assessment Reports are a vital reference and evidence base for policy considerations on climate change by governments around the world,” Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Greg Combet said.
The review will run to the end of November and involves a ‘‘second-order draft’’ of one of the three working group reports, examining the physical aspects of the climate system and the changes under way.
These include observations of changes in air, land and ocean temperatures, rainfall, glaciers and ice sheets, and sea level, as well as evaluations of climate models and projections of future conditions.
The first working group’s report is due for public release in September 2013. Draft IPCC reports are typically not made public, with the review process intended to test the data and analysis, and identify any errors.
“Scientists have advised that the world is warming and high levels of carbon pollution risk environmental and economic damage,’’ Mr Combet said in the statement. Government steps to limit the risk include placing a price on carbon pollution, a target to achieve 20 per cent of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2020. and investing in energy efficiency.
The two other IPCC working groups - examining impacts from climate change and possible mitigation efforts - are due for expert review between February and May next year. The results of the two group will be published in March and April 2014, respectively.
Earlier this week, CSIRO scientists released analysis showing a big drop in autumnal rains over southern Australia in recent decades, with a warming atmosphere deemed to be part of the cause. The study found a shift in the sub-tropical dry zone has effectively brought more arid conditions several hundred kilometres south, particularly during mid to late autumn.
