Background

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading body for the assessment of climate change, established by the United Nations to provide the world with a clear, balanced view of the present state of understanding of climate change. The main activity of the IPCC is to provide in regular intervals Assessment Reports of the state of knowledge on climate change. The latest, "Climate Change 2007," the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4), is presented here. The IPCC does not conduct research on its own. Its core activity is to review and assess the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to the understanding of climate change. The IPCC was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme and is open to all their member countries.

IPCC reports are written by teams of authors nominated by governments and international organizations. They come from universities, research centers, business and environmental associations from all over the world. More than 800 contributing authors and more than 450 lead authors were involved in the writing of the AR4.

Review is an essential part of the IPCC process, to ensure an objective and complete assessment of current information. More than 2,500 scientific expert reviewers were involved in the two-stage scientific and technical review process of the AR4.

For the first review, the drafts were circulated to specialists with significant expertise and publications in the field. A wide circulation process ensures contributions from independent experts in all regions of the world and all relevant disciplines. Revised drafts were distributed for the second review to governments and to all authors and expert reviewers. Governments and expert reviewers can provide comments on the accuracy and completeness of the scientific/technical/socio-economic content and the overall balance of the drafts. Differing views for which there is significant scientific or technical support are clearly reflected in the final documents. Full reports are accepted during the Working Group's plenary, while for each report a Summary for Policymakers (SPM) is approved line by line. The SPM therefore represents the point of agreement: participating governments acknowledge that there is enough scientific evidence worldwide to support the document's statements.

"Climate Change 2007" is the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report. The previous reports were published in 1990, 1995 and 2001.

The IPCC AR4 consists of four volumes released during 2007. The volumes were released according to the following schedule:

February 2 (Paris) - "The Physical Science Basis"
April 6 (Brussels) - "Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability"
May 4 (Bangkok) - "Mitigation of Climate Change"
November 17 (Valencia) "The Synthesis Report"

Compared to the 2001 report, the AR4 pays greater attention to the integration of climate change with sustainable development and the inter-relationships between mitigation and adaptation. Specific attention is given to regional issues, uncertainty & risk, technology, climate change & water.

Table of Contents

Synthesis Report

• Summary for Policymakers
• Full Text

Working Group I Report: The Physical Science Basis

• Front Matter
• Summary for Policymakers
• Technical Summary
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Chapters:

1. Historical Overview of Climate Change Science
2. Changes in Atmospheric Constituents and in Radiative Forcing
3. Observations: Surface and Atmospheric Climate Change
4. Observations: Changes in Snow, Ice and Frozen Ground
5. Observations: Oceanic Climate Change and Sea Level
6. Palaeoclimate
7. Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry
8. Climate Models and their Evaluation
9. Understanding and Attributing Climate Change
10. Global Climate Projections
11. Regional Climate Projections

• Annexes:
  
1. Glossary
2. Authors
3. Reviewers
4. Acronyms

• Uncertainty Guidance Note for the Fourth Assessment Report

Working Group II Report: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability

• Introduction to the Report
  
• Summary for Policymakers
  
• Technical Summary
  
• Chapters:
1. Assessment of Observed Changes and Responses in Natural and Managed Systems
2. New Assessment Methods and the Characterisation of Future Conditions
3. Fresh Water Resources and their Management
4. Ecosystems, their Properties, Goods and Services
5. Food, Fibre, and Forest Products
6. Coastal Systems and Low-Lying Areas
7. Industry, Settlement and Society
8. Human Health
9. Africa
10. Asia
11. Australia and New Zealand
12. Europe
13. Latin America
14. North America
15. Polar Regions (Arctic and Antarctic)
16. Small Islands
17. Assessment of Adaptation Practices, Options, Constraints and Capacity
18. Inter-Relationships Between Adaptation and Mitigation
19. Assessing Key Vulnerabilities and the Risk from Climate Change
20. Perspectives on Climate Change and Sustainability

• Cross-Chapter Case Studies

• Appendices:
1. Glossary
2. Contributors
3. Reviewers
4. Acronyms
5. Permissions

Working Group III Report: Mitigation of Climate Change

• Preface and Foreword
• Summary for Policymakers
• Technical Summary
• Chapters:
1. Introduction
2. Framing Issues
3. Issues Related to Mitigation in the Long-Term Context
4. Energy Supply
5. Transport and its Infrastructure
6. Residential and Commercial Buildings
7. Industry
8. Agriculture
9. Forestry
10. Waste Management
11. Mitigation from a Cross-Sectoral Perspective
12. Sustainable Development and Mitigation
13. Policies, Instruments, and Co-operative Arrangements
• Annexes:
1. Glossary
2. Abbreviations, Chemical Symbols
3. Contributors to the Report
4. Reviewers of the Report

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