About the IPCC
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. The IPCC along with 195 member governments, assesses scientific information related to climate change, in different sectors (e.g. water resources, ecosystems, food security, agriculture and forests, coastal systems, industry, human health, urban and rural areas, etc.) and for different regions.
The information is published as regular comprehensive Assessment Reports and more focused Special Reports, among others. They form the scientific basis upon which decisions can be made, and local and global action (e.g., Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement etc.) can be based. The current assessment cycle is the sixth since 1990. With each cycle, the understanding of global climate change with its complex web of interconnected cause-and-effects has grown, deepened, and widened.
The IPCC comprises three Working Groups and a Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. Each Working Group is assisted by a Technical Support Unit. Working Group I deals with the physical science base of climate change, including future climate scenarios. Working Group II focuses on the potential impacts of climate change on ecosystems, biodiversity and human societies: How vulnerable are they to climate change, and to what extent can they adapt? Can risks be reduced? What are the options for creating a sustainable future for all? Working Group III focuses on “mitigation”, i.e. reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing those already emitted from the atmosphere. The Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories oversee the IPCC National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme.
