Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

THE FIRST WORLD Climate Conference organized by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) expressed concern about significant extended regional and even global changes of climate due to human's activities on Earth. The conference appealed to nations of the world to foresee and prevent potential human-made changes in climate that might have adverse effects on human race. A joint UNEP/WMO/ICSU conference convened in Villach, Austria on the “Assessment of the Role of Carbon Dioxide and of Other Greenhouse Gases in Climate Variations and Associated Impacts.” The conference concluded that a rise of global mean temperature could occur due to the increasing greenhouse gases and warming of the globe could result in sea level rises. This warming and probable rate and degree of warming are closely linked with other major environmental issues which will/could be profoundly affected by policies on emissions of greenhouse gases, just like the emissions of chlorofluoro-compounds under the Montreal Protocol and their effect on ozone depletion.

Recognizing the problem of potential global climate change, the WMO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in November 1988 and was open to all members of the United Nations and WMO, with the aim of assessing in a comprehensive, objective, open, and transparent manner the scientific, technical, and socioeconomic information relevant to understanding the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts, and options for adaptation and [Page 544]mitigation. Although the WMO and UNEP were the two main organizations involved in the creation of the IPCC, there were other intergovernmental organizations as well as nongovernmental organizations that were involved in establishing the IPCC. Also, the UN General Assembly, recognizing the need for international cooperation on climate change, joined the call through its resolution on “Protection of the Global Climate for Present and Future Generations of Mankind” during their 43rd session, held in 1988. The IPCC does not carry out any research on its own, nor does it monitor climate-related data or other relevant parameters. On the contrary, IPCC bases its assessment mainly on peer reviewed and published scientific/technical literature.

A small bureau of 15 was created to oversee the work of the panel and three working groups were also formed: Working Group I addresses topics including greenhouse gases and aerosols, processes and modeling, observed climate variations, and change. The experts of Working Group I have concluded that emissions from human activities are substantially increasing the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases and this will result in warming of the Earth's surface. Working Group II assesses the climate change impact on agriculture and forestry, natural terrestrial ecosystems, hydrology and water resources, human settlements, oceans and coastal zones, and seasonal snow cover, ice, and permafrost. Working Group III has further established subgroups to define mitigative and adaptive response options in energy, industry, agriculture, forestry, and other human activities, including coastal zone management. Each working group has two co-chairs, one from a developed country and another from a developing country, and a technical support unit. IPCC activities, including travel costs for experts from developing countries and countries with economies in transition, are financed through voluntary contributions from governments.

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