Fight Over Climate Report Timing Erupts at U.N. Talks

The fight is over when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change publishes its next batch of reports, and it has become one of the burning issues at this year's United Nations climate conference. Saudi Arabia, India and Russia are among the countries pushing to delay the reports so that at least two of them land after 2028. All three rank among the world's largest fossil fuel exporters or importers, which has fueled accusations that coal, oil and gas interests are interfering with the science.

The calendar matters because 2028 is when nations are supposed to assess their progress and then ramp up their efforts based on the best available science. That assessment, known as a stocktake, happens every five years and is described as the engine of the Paris Agreement. If the reports slip past that date, the stocktake would go forward without them.

The I.P.C.C. is the U.N.-backed body behind the landmark reports, which generally appear every five to seven years. Its next round would cover topics including physical changes to the earth and greenhouse gas emissions.

Former Vice President Al Gore, who is in Turkey for the talks, pointed the finger directly at Riyadh. “Saudi Arabia is trying to destroy the I.P.C.C. in order to prevent the next global stocktake from using the accurate scientific data on fossil fuels,” he said.