Opinion: Distribute paleoscience information across the next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports

Abstract

In this opinion piece, we evaluate two approaches for incorporating paleoscience information into future assessment reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). One approach advocates for a dedicated paleoclimate chapter, while the other supports the continued integration of paleoscience along with other lines of evidence across multiple sections of the report, as done in the most recent assessment cycle. We address the merits and challenges of these two approaches. We argue that paleoscience expertise is most effectively deployed where it leads to integration of paleoscience knowledge and demonstration of its policy relevance, and we suggest opportunities for expanding paleoscience contributions in future IPCC reports, regardless of the approach chosen.