IPCC

IPCC

·         It is in fact because of the need of broad and balanced information about climate change that the organization was created back in 1989. It was set up by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as an effort by the United Nations to provide the governments of the world with a clear scientific view of what is happening to the world’s climate.

·         The initial task for the IPCC as outlined in the UN General Assembly Resolution 43/53 of 6 December 1988 was to prepare a comprehensive review and recommendations with respect to the state of knowledge of the science of climate change; social and economic impact of climate change, possible response strategies and elements for inclusion in a possible future international convention on climate.

·         The scientific evidence brought up by the first IPCC Assessment Report of 1990 unveiled the importance of climate change as a topic deserving a political platform among countries to tackle its consequences. It therefore played a decisive role in leading to the creation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the key international treaty to reduce global warming and cope with the consequences of climate change.

·         The IPCC Second Assessment Report of 1995 provided key input in the way to the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997.

·         The Third Assessment Report came out in 2001, and the Fourth in the course of 2007.

·         Its latest major report, “Climate Change 2007”, clearly brought to the attention of the world the scientific understanding of the present changes in our climate and lead the organization to be honored with the Nobel Peace Prize at the end of that same year.

·        Presently Secretary of the IPCC is Dr Renate CHRIST.