Later today, the foremost global authority on climate change will issue its ultimate call to action for the 2020s: elevate aspirations, expedite efforts, or face the prospect of irreversible consequences.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Synthesis Report, a culmination of the sixth assessment cycle and a joint effort of nearly 300 scientists representing 67 countries, is expected to present a stark reality: the world’s trajectory is still on course towards a bleak future unless countries intensify climate action immediately and sustain it throughout the next decade.

The synthesis report will summarise the main findings of the previous three sections, which analysed the physical science of climate change, its impacts and ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The report is expected to emphasise that the world is approaching irreversible levels of global warming, with catastrophic effects becoming inevitable.

It will highlight the urgency of taking immediate action to avoid disaster, warn of the potential consequences of further heating and outline policies and actions to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.

The summary of the report received approval from governments on Sunday morning, but finalising the main text took several more hours, leading some to worry about the possibility of a postponement.

However, the UN intends to release the report at a press conference scheduled for early Monday afternoon.