Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Background

The Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) describes itself as having been established to:

'provide the decision-makers and others interested in climate change with an objective source of information about climate change. The IPCC does not conduct any research nor does it monitor climate related data or parameters. Its role is to assess on a comprehensive, objective, open and transparent basis the latest scientific, technical and socio-economic literature produced worldwide relevant to the understanding of the risk of human-induced climate change, its observed and projected impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. IPCC reports should be neutral with respect to policy, although they need to deal objectively with policy relevant scientific, technical and socio economic factors. They should be of high scientific and technical standards, and aim to reflect a range of views, expertise and wide geographical coverage.'

According to the IPCC , the findings of their reports have played, and continue to play a 'major source of information for the negotiations' for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This included a decisive role in leading to the establishment of the UNFCCC itself through the Rio de Janeiro Summit in 1992 (The UNFCC entered into force in 1994) and providing key inputs for the negotiations of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997.

On its website, the IPCC describes its constituency as made of:

• The governments: the IPCC is open to all member countries of WMO and UNEP. Governments of participate in plenary Sessions of the IPCC where main decisions about the IPCC workprogramme are taken and reports are accepted, adopted and approved. They also participate the review of IPCC Reports.
• The scientists: hundreds of scientists all over the world contribute to the work of the IPCC as authors, contributors and reviewers.
• The people: as United Nations body, the IPCC work aims at the promotion of the United Nations human development goals

The activities of the IPCC are guided by the mandate given to it by its parent organisations WMO and UNEP and governed by principles agreed by the Panel. The Panel, which meets about once a year, decides the workprogramme of the IPCC. These decisions are made at plenary sessions of Government representatives which are are also attended by hundreds of officials and experts from relevant ministries, agencies and research institutions from member countries and from participating organizations.

Biographical Information

The IPCC is described as an 'intergovernmental body' which is open to all member countries of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

History

The IPCC was established in 1988 by UNEP and the WMO when they deemed climate change to be a very complex issue which created a need for policymakers to have an 'objective source of information about the causes of climate change, its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences and the adaptation and mitigation options to respond to it'.

The IPCC has produced an Anniversary Brochure 16 Years of Scientific Assessment in Support of the Climate Convention December 2004], giving an overview of its activities since its conception. Accessed 10th April 2009.

Current activities

In 2009, IPCC state that they are currently operating 3 Working Groups and the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. The Working Groups and the Task Force are described as having 'clearly defined mandates as agreed by the Panel and their activities are guided by two Co-chairs each. They are assisted by a Technical Support Unit and the Working Group or Task Force Bureau. Working Group 1 deals with "The Physical Science Basis of Climate Change", Working Group 2 with "Climate Change Impact, Adaptation and Vulnerability" and Working Group 3 with "Mitigation of Climate Change". The main objective of the Task Force is to develop and refine a methodology for the calculation and reporting of national GHG emissions and removals. In addition to the Working Groups and Task Force, further Task Groups and Steering Groups may be established for a limited or longer duration to consider a specific topic or question'.

People

In September 2008, the IPCC lists its people as

The IPCC Bureau

Rajendra K. Pachauri - Chairman | Ogunlade Davidson (Sierra Leone)- Vice Chair | Jean-Pascal van Ypersele (Belgium) - Vice Chair | Hoesung Lee (Republic of Korea) - Vice Chair | Thomas Stocker (Switzerland) and Dahe Qin (China) - Working Group I Co-Chairs | Christopher Field (USA) and Vicente Barros (Argentina) - Working Group II Co-Chairs | Ottmar Edenhofer (Germany), Ramon Pichs-Madruga (Cuba) and Youba Sokona (Mali) - Working Group III Co-Chairs | Taka Hiraishi (Japan) and Thelma Krug (Brazil) - Task Force Bureau National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Co-Chairs

Working Group I Vice chairs are : Abdalah Mokssit (Morocco) | Fatemeh Rahimzadeh - (Islamic Republic of Iran) | Francis Zwiers (Canada) | Fredolin T. Tangang (Malaysia) | David Wratt (New Zealand) | Jean Jouzel (France)

Working Group II Vice chairs are: Nirivololona Raholijao (Madagascar) | Ajmad Abdulla (Maldives) | Eduardo Calvo Buendia (Peru) | Neville Smith (Australia) | Jose M Moreno (Spain) | Sergey Semenov (Russian Federation)

Working Group III Vice chairs are: Ismail A.R. El Gizouli (Sudan) | Suzana Kahn Ribeiro (Brazil) | Antonina Ivanova Boncheva (Mexico) | Carlo Carraro (Italy) | Jim Skea (UK)

Bureau of the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

• Co-Chairs: Taka Hiraishi (Japan) and Thelma Krug (Brazil)
• Members: Washington Zhakata (Zimbabwe) | Zhou Lingxi (China) | Leonidas O. Girardin (Argentina) | Art Jaques (Canada) | Robert Sturgiss (Australia) | Leonard J. Brown (New Zealand) | Detelina Petrova (Bulgaria) | Sadeddin Kherfan (Syrian Arab Republic) | Enmanuel Mpeta (United Republic of Tanzania) | Sirintornthep Towprayoon (Thailand) | Sergio Gonzalez Martineaux (Chile) | William N. Irving (USA) | Rizaldi Boer (Indonesia) | Jim Penman (UK)

Funding

IPPC's website states that 'IPCC activities, in particular the participation of developing country experts in the IPCC work, and publication and translation of IPCC reports are supported by the IPCC Trust Fund to which Governments, provide voluntary contributions. Governments provide further substantial support for activities of the IPCC, in particular through hosting Technical Support Units, supporting the participation of experts in IPCC activities, organising meetings and contributing to translations. WMO, UNEP and the UNFCCC provide also financial support. WMO hosts the IPCC Secretariat and WMO and UNEP provide one staff member each for the IPCC Secretariat.'

Publications, Contact, Resources and Notes

Contact

Address:

IPCC Secretariat

C/O World Meteorological Organization

7bis Avenue de la Paix, C.P. 2300

CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland

Phone: +41-22-730-8208

Fax: +41-22-730-8025

Email: IPCC-Sec@wmo.int

Website:

Resources

• Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change [http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/10th-anniversary/anniversary-brochure.pdf 16 Years of Scientific Assessment in Support of the Climate Convention

December 2004], Anniversary Brochure giving an overview of IPCC activities since its conception.