The working group 1 symposium of the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was convened on April, 16th, on invitation of Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (AIOFM). Qin Dahe, an academician of CAS and the Co-Chair of working group 1 of IPCC, and some authors of the report shared and exchanged their experience with research fellows of AIOFM about the report.

The Fifth Assessment Report noted that climate change is more serious than originally recognized. The temperature increases obviously worldwide. Sea level rises and cryosphere fades. The concentrations of CO2, CH4 and N2O are rising to levels unprecedented over the past 800,000 years.

The report found that global average surface warming would depend on the cumulative CO2 emission. In order to achieve the objective which limits temperature increase in two degrees centigrade, the greenhouse gases emission should be reduced sharply. Among these primary energy sources, such as firewood, coal, oil and natural gas, natural gas has the best combustion efficiency and the lowest generation of greenhouse gases and SO2 which could generate haze. So changing the energy structure and improving energy efficiency are significant for climate and environmental protection in the future.

Academician Qin Dahe also introduced the content of working group II’s report “Climate change 2014: influence, adaption and vulnerability”. Academician Qin regarded that air pollution (fog and haze) becomes the biggest single risk of healthy environment. Controlling haze has the same goal as reducing greenhouse gases emission. It is a long term work to fight air pollution with scientific layout and technical governance.

During the symposium, the working group members had a warm discussion with AIOFM research staff. The working group believed that AIOFM has developed a set of atmospheric and environmental monitoring technology with independent intellectual property rights. It is better for AIOFM to develop multiple sites monitoring and multiple kinds of data accumulation. The mechanism of water vapor and aerosols, monsoon, sea-land interaction needs to be resolved for the cause of haze. In order to reduce emission of greenhouse gases and factors causing haze, scientific researchers should implement desulphurization technology, adjust the structure of energy consumption and build smart, low-cost house. Finally the study could provide decision-making reference for the government.

Background information:

1．Academician Qin Dahe: Prof. Qin won Volvo Environment Prize, one of the most respected environmental prizes in 2013 for his cryospheric science and global climate change research. As the first person crossing of Antarctic continent on foot in China, Qin Dahe has made outstanding contributions in developing meteorological service of China and glacier study of the world.

2．IPCC: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been established by WMO and UNEP to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.