Helping Governments Understand Climate Change

Climate change is one of the most complex and important environmental issues facing our world. Its potential impact is enormous; sea levels are rising, temperatures are climbing, and landscapes are changing - among many other consequences.

In 1988, The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) with the aim of providing the world a clear scientific view on the current state of climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences. The IPCC brings together governments and scientists to address the multitude of issues surrounding climate change. It is an objective source of information on climate change and helps inform these communities of their adaptation and mitigation options.

The IPCC provides scientific information from all regions of the world. Its reports are based on peer reviewed scientific evidence with viewpoints from within the global scientific community.

The first IPCC Assessment Report of 1990 played a significant role laying the groundwork for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was adopted at the Rio de Janeiro Summit in 1992. The second IPCC Assessment Report of 1995 was instrumental in the Kyoto Protocol negotiations in 1997.

The IPCC panel is open to all member countries of WMO and UNEP, and its publications are widely accessible and are used worldwide by governments, scientists and experts.

Through its authoritative assessments, governments have access to the most current trends and research on climate change, allowing decision-makers to put in place appropriate strategies for combating climate change.

For its stellar work, the IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

For more information, please visit http://www.ipcc.ch