WMO
United Nations
UNEP
COP/FCCC
Subsidiary
bodies of the
Framework
Convention on
Climate Change
World Climate
Programme
International
Geosphere
Biosphere
Programme
Global Climate
Observing
system etc.
IPCC
IPCC
Bureau
WGI
Science
WGII
Impacts and
adaptation
WGIII
Mitigation
Lead Authors, Contributors, Reviewers
Figure 1 Structure of the
IPCC 1997—2001 showing
the Working Groups
(WGs), the parent
organizations of the IPCC,
the World Meteorological
Organisation (WMO) and
the United Nations
Environment Programme
(UNEP), and showing the
IPCC’s links to
International Scientific
Organizations and to the
Conference of the Parties
(COP) of the Framework
Convention on Climate
Change (FCCC)
10 The Third Assessment Report
In 2001 the IPCC published its Third Assessment Report (TAR) that addressed in
a comprehensive manner the whole field of climate change: the scientific basis
(Working Group I), the likely impacts on human communities and on ecosystems
and how adaptation might be achieved (Working Group II) and the options for
mitigation and its likely cost (Working Group III). In order to explain more fully
the procedures now followed by the IPCC, the preparation of the TAR will be
described in some detail, after which a brief summary will be provided of some its
main conclusions.
In Figure 1 is shown the current structure of the IPCC and its connections with
other international bodies. Note that the IPCC is not a body that itself carries out
research; in its assessments it relies heavily on the work of international research
organizations, for instance the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)
and the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP). Each of the
Working Groups is led by a Bureau consisting of two co-chairs (one from a
developed and one from a developing country) and six vice-chairs, each of whom
comes a different geographical region (according to the six geographical regions
as defined by the WMO).
The key steps, covering a period of over two and a half years, in the preparation
of the IPCC TAR WGI report are illustrated in Figure 2. Similar timetables were
followed by the other Working Groups. At the initial scoping meeting in the
summer of 1998, over a hundred scientists met for a preliminary discussion about
the content and scope of the new report. The headings and outlines for 14
chapters were formulated. In addition, there would be a Technical Summary (TS)
about 50 pages long and a Summary for Policymakers (SPM) about 15 pages
long. Following that meeting, nominations for Lead Authors were requested very
widely from scientific organizations and from governments. From the large
number of nominations received, Lead Authors were selected by the WGI Bureau
An Overview of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
11
United Nations
UNEP
COP/FCCC
Subsidiary
bodies of the
Framework
Convention on
Climate Change
World Climate
Programme
International
Geosphere
Biosphere
Programme
Global Climate
Observing
system etc.
IPCC
IPCC
Bureau
WGI
Science
WGII
Impacts and
adaptation
WGIII
Mitigation
Lead Authors, Contributors, Reviewers
Figure 1 Structure of the
IPCC 1997—2001 showing
the Working Groups
(WGs), the parent
organizations of the IPCC,
the World Meteorological
Organisation (WMO) and
the United Nations
Environment Programme
(UNEP), and showing the
IPCC’s links to
International Scientific
Organizations and to the
Conference of the Parties
(COP) of the Framework
Convention on Climate
Change (FCCC)
10 The Third Assessment Report
In 2001 the IPCC published its Third Assessment Report (TAR) that addressed in
a comprehensive manner the whole field of climate change: the scientific basis
(Working Group I), the likely impacts on human communities and on ecosystems
and how adaptation might be achieved (Working Group II) and the options for
mitigation and its likely cost (Working Group III). In order to explain more fully
the procedures now followed by the IPCC, the preparation of the TAR will be
described in some detail, after which a brief summary will be provided of some its
main conclusions.
In Figure 1 is shown the current structure of the IPCC and its connections with
other international bodies. Note that the IPCC is not a body that itself carries out
research; in its assessments it relies heavily on the work of international research
organizations, for instance the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)
and the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP). Each of the
Working Groups is led by a Bureau consisting of two co-chairs (one from a
developed and one from a developing country) and six vice-chairs, each of whom
comes a different geographical region (according to the six geographical regions
as defined by the WMO).
The key steps, covering a period of over two and a half years, in the preparation
of the IPCC TAR WGI report are illustrated in Figure 2. Similar timetables were
followed by the other Working Groups. At the initial scoping meeting in the
summer of 1998, over a hundred scientists met for a preliminary discussion about
the content and scope of the new report. The headings and outlines for 14
chapters were formulated. In addition, there would be a Technical Summary (TS)
about 50 pages long and a Summary for Policymakers (SPM) about 15 pages
long. Following that meeting, nominations for Lead Authors were requested very
widely from scientific organizations and from governments. From the large
number of nominations received, Lead Authors were selected by the WGI Bureau
An Overview of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
11