Living up to its perceived impression, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released another report heralding a doomsday situation if required actions are not taken towards tackling climate change. IPCC was established under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in 1988. The reports presented by it have been serving as agenda-setters for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conferences. Indeed, most of the facts and arguments presented in the recent report sound alarming but stale. However, it needs to be noted that the real danger lies not in the novelty of presentation but in the gradually deteriorating situation that has been perpetuated for decades. The IPCC has been presenting its reports since the early 1990s, and the present report is the last one, fourth to be precise, of the sixth assessment cycle. This is a ‘Synthesis Report’ compiling the main findings of the assessment reports presented by three working groups in the sixth assessment cycle — working group evaluating the physical science basis of climate change; working group evaluating the impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability; and working group evaluating the mitigation. Thus, the repetition factor is totally accounted for, and humans can ignore the reiterations made by the report only at the cost of exacerbating a broader existential risk. Most prominently, IPCC’s Synthesis Report blended optimism and alarm in fair proportions when it stated that it is still feasible to stay within the much-desired 1.5 degrees Celsius limit, but the present junction might be the last opportunity for humanity to give it a try. The report has put us at a crossroads where our actions will either bring back the global temperature to safe levels or propel it to rise further. The present climate scenario has left the world vulnerable to food insecurity, water scarcity and a range of climate-induced disasters. If one randomly picks any instance of time in the past couple of years, there is a possibility that some or the other natural disaster was unfolding in some part of the world. Cyclone Freddy in Africa and the flash floods in Turkey are fresh examples. The alarms sounded by the IPCC report are not just on paper. They can be seen and experienced in our surrounding vicinity. However optimistic the IPCC report may try to sound, in reality, the chances of limiting global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius are way to bleak. The world, it seems, is not yet ready for the positive changes in the required measure. The consensus on the future course of action is hard to come by. This was reflected in the postponement of the release of the report due to resurfacing of the divide between major developing and developed countries. Big countries and blocs like China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and the European Union found it hard to arrive at a consensus on the wording and phraseology of the report, particularly as the report was to be signed by representatives of member countries. One may argue that given the complexity of synthesising volumes of information collected over the last 7-8 years may be tricky and create discord. But the divergence in views here appears to be more deep-seated. Apart from the developed world’s resistance in owning the responsibility for historical emissions, there were tangled debates around defining ‘vulnerable countries’ that will be eligible for 'loss and damage' funds agreed upon in the Egypt talks. While it may seem to be a single issue, the lack of global consensus amid a highly polarised global scenario is a massive roadblock and could plague a whole lot of important aspects including climate finance and technology transfer. It was way back during the Paris Climate accord that the need for negative emissions was envisaged. Unfortunately, the world is still grappling with the issue of cutting positive emissions. Be it the proposed measures of large-scale reforestation or artificial carbon capturing beneath the ocean and land, everything lies in limbo. Investment in climate mitigation and adaptation has been multiple times lower than the required levels. This is the time when national governments of both developing and developed countries should own the responsibility and take vigorous steps. In absence of such a vigour, all talks and plans are bound to fail.