Statement of CIEL President Carroll Muffett on the Release of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report

The statement by CIEL President Carroll Muffett emphasizes that the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report confirms human influence on the climate system with greater than 95% certainty, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels. It warns that continued inaction and a 'business as usual' approach will lead to unprecedented climate catastrophes and expose CEOs, shareholders, and investors to increased financial, regulatory, and legal risks.

• The IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report establishes that human influence on the climate system is clear and that human activities, specifically the burning of fossil fuels, are the primary cause of climate change.
• There is greater than 95% certainty that human influence has been the dominant cause of observed warming since the mid-20th Century, which increases the accountability and risk for those shaping the climate trajectory.
• Decision-makers, including CEOs, shareholders, and investors, face significant financial, regulatory, and legal risks if they fail to reduce carbon emissions and continue the extraction and burning of fossil fuels.

APA

Muffett, C. (2013). Statement of CIEL President Carroll Muffett on the Release of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/news/statement-of-ciel-president-carroll-muffett-on-the-release-of-the-ipccs-fifth-assessment-report/

Chicago

Muffett, Carroll. Statement of CIEL President Carroll Muffett on the Release of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report. Center for International Environmental Law, 2013. https://www.ciel.org/news/statement-of-ciel-president-carroll-muffett-on-the-release-of-the-ipccs-fifth-assessment-report/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Muffett |first1=Carroll |title=Statement of CIEL President Carroll Muffett on the Release of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=1 September 2013 |url=https://www.ciel.org/news/statement-of-ciel-president-carroll-muffett-on-the-release-of-the-ipccs-fifth-assessment-report/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{muffett2013statement, author = {Muffett, Carroll}, title = {{Statement of CIEL President Carroll Muffett on the Release of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2013}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ciel.org/news/statement-of-ciel-president-carroll-muffett-on-the-release-of-the-ipccs-fifth-assessment-report/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }