A Brief Introduction to the IPCC

Mandate and Membership of the IPCC

Recognizing the problem of potential global climate change, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988. It is open to all members of the UN and WMO.

The role of the IPCC is to assess on a comprehensive, objective, open and transparent basis the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to understanding the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. The IPCC does not carry out research nor does it monitor climate related data or other relevant parameters. It bases its assessment mainly on peer reviewed and published scientific/technical literature. Its role, organisation, participation and general procedures are laid down in the " Principles Governing IPCC Work "

Organizational Structure

The IPCC has three Working Groups and a Task Force

• Working Group I assesses the scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change.
   

• Working Group II assesses the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change, negative and positive consequences of climate change, and options for adapting to it.
   

• Working Group III assesses options for limiting greenhouse gas emissions and otherwise mitigating climate change.
   

• The Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories is responsible for the IPCC National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme.

The Panel meets in plenary sessions about once a year. It accepts/approves/adopts IPCC reports, decides on the mandates and work plans of the Working Groups and the Task Force, the structure and outlines of its reports, the IPCC Principles and Procedures, and the budget. The Panel also elects the IPCC Chair, the IPCC Bureau and the Bureau of the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. The IPCC Bureau meets two to three times per year and assists the IPCC Chair in planning, co-ordinating and monitoring progress in the work of the IPCC.

The IPCC is managed by the IPCC Secretariat, which is hosted by WMO in Geneva and supported by UNEP and WMO. In addition each Working Group and the Task Force has a Technical Support Unit. These Technical Support Units are supported by the government of the developed country co-chair of that Working Group or Task Force and hosted by a research institution in that country. A number of other institutions provide in kind support for IPCC activities.