The IPCC is working to a busy schedule these days. With AR5 finalized in 2014, it's straight into the next cycle, with scoping and planning meetings underway for AR6. In addition to producing the next Assessment Report, there is a Methodology Report (updating the 2006 guidelines on national greenhouse gas inventories) and three upcoming special reports — the impacts of 1.5 °C global warming, oceans and cryosphere, land use change and desertification — which will bring together the different groups. In late August, a workshop entitled 'Integrated research on climate risk and sustainable solutions across IPCC Working Groups: Lessons learnt from AR5 to support AR6' was held in Stockholm. The meeting reflected on AR5 — identifying gaps and challenges — in order to implement changes moving forward to the next set of reports, with the aims of greater integration across disciplines and more unified approaches.

These upcoming special reports are driving a shift in thinking away from the autonomous workings of each Working Group. Historically each Working Group produced a report independently for the Assessment Report and they only came together after these were finalized to generate the Synthesis Report. This is not the first time there has been an integrated approach with the Special Report on Extreme Events (https://www.ipcc.ch/report/srex) uniting the Working Groups. Each of the upcoming Special Reports will, from the beginning, have scoping meetings bringing together participants from the different disciplines and Working Groups.

The 1.5 °C report scoping meeting has already been held and for the first time there was equal representation from the developing world. It is important to gain global representation at the planning stages of the assessment and Special Reports, to ensure the end product is comprehensive and inclusive.

As Hoesung Lee, the IPCC chair, noted in his opening address in Stockholm, barriers to zero emissions don't come from science: they are economic, social and political. The new IPCC focus will be to help to overcome these barriers through scientific analysis.