IPCC, Working Group and Functions

The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change

(IPCC)
By
k.saravanan
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) is a scientific body tasked to evaluate the risk
of climate change caused by human activity.
The panel was established in 1988 by the World

Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),
two organizations of the United Nations.
Activity:
The IPCC does not carry out research, nor does it monitor climate or
related phenomena.
A main activity of the IPCC is publishing special reports on topics

relevant to the implementation of the UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international treaty that acknowledges
the possibility of harmful climate change
Implementation of the UNFCCC led eventually to the Kyoto Protocol.

The IPCC bases its assessment mainly on peer
reviewed and published scientific literature.
The IPCC is only open to member states of the

WMO and UNEP.
IPCC reports are widely cited in almost any debate

related to climate change National and international.
Aims:
The principles of the IPCC operation are assigned by the
relevant WMO Executive Council and UNEP Governing Council
resolutions and decisions.
The stated aims of the IPCC are to assess scientific information

relevant to:
Human-induced climate change,
The impacts of human-induced climate change,
Options for adaptation and mitigation.
Role:
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.
Review is an essential part of the IPCC process.
Review of IPCC documents should involve both peer review by

experts and review by governments.
IPCC
Assessment reports:
First (1990)
1992 sup.
Second (1995)
Third (2001)
Fourth (2007)
IPCC First Assessment Report: 1990
The IPCC first assessment report was completed in 1990,

and served as the basis of the UNFCCC.
global mean surface air temperature has increased by 0.3

to 0.6 oC over the last 100 years
climate change, due to our incomplete understanding of
sources and sinks of GHGs,clouds,oceans,polar ice sheets.
Human activities - increasing the atmospheric
concentrations of the greenhouse gases.
These increases will enhance the greenhouse effect.
CO2 has been responsible for over half the enhanced
greenhouse effect
 Long-lived gases would require immediate
reductions in emissions from human activities of over
60% to stabilize their concentrations at today's levels
IPCC Supplementary Report: 1992
The 1992 supplementary report was an update,
requested in the context of the negotiations on the
Framework Convention on Climate Change at the
Earth Summit ( United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development) in Rio de Janeiro in
1992.
IPCC Second Assessment Report: Climate Change 1995
Climate Change 1995, the IPCC Second Assessment Report

(SAR), was finished in 1996.
It is split into four parts:

A synthesis to help interpret UNFCCC article 2.
The Science of Climate Change (WG I)
Impacts, Adaptations and Mitigation of Climate
Change (WG II)
Economic and Social Dimensions of Climate Change
(WG III)
Climate is expected to continue to change in the
future
Greenhouse gas concentrations have continued to
increase
Anthropogenic aerosols tend to produce negative
radiative forcings
Climate has changed over the past century (air
temperature has increased by between 0.3 and 0.6 °C
since the late 19th century).
IPCC Third Assessment Report: Climate Change 2001:
The Third Assessment Report (TAR) consists of four
reports, three of them from its working groups:
Working Group I: The Scientific Basis

Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
Working Group III: Mitigation
Synthesis Report
Average surface temperature is projected to
increase by 1.4 to 5.8 Celsius degrees over the
period 1990 to 2100, and
The sea level is projected to rise by 0.1 to 0.9

meters over the same period.
Human influences will continue to change

atmospheric composition throughout the 21st
century
IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate
Change 2007
The Fourth Assessment Report (AR4)

was completed in early 2007.
Like previous assessment reports,
it consists of four reports,
three of them from its working groups.
Fourth Assessment Report vs. associated changes in global-mean temperature
until 2100
AR4
more economic focus more environmental focus
A1 B1
Globalisation rapid economic growth global environmental
(homogeneous world) (groups: A1T/A1B/A1Fl) sustainability
1.4 - 6.4 °C 1.1 - 2.9 °C
A2 B2
Regionalisation regionally oriented local environmental
(heterogeneous world) economic development sustainability
2.0 - 5.4 °C 1.4 - 3.8 °C
World temperatures could rise by between 1.1 and 6.4 °C
(2.0 and 11.5 °F) during the 21st century .
Sea levels will probably rise by 18 to 59 cm (7.08 to

23.22 in)
There is a confidence level >90% that there will be more

frequent warm spells, heat waves and heavy rainfall.
There is a confidence level >66% that there
will be an increase in droughts, tropical cyclones
and extreme high tides.
Both past and future anthropogenic carbon

dioxide emissions will continue to contribute to
warming and sea level rise for more than a
millennium.

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IPCC, Working Group and Functions

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The Intergovernmental

Panel on Climate Change

The panel was established in 1988 by the World

A main activity of the IPCC is publishing special reports on topics

Implementation of the UNFCCC led eventually to the Kyoto Protocol.

The IPCC is only open to member states of the

IPCC reports are widely cited in almost any debate

The stated aims of the IPCC are to assess scientific information

Review is an essential part of the IPCC process.

Review of IPCC documents should involve both peer review by

The IPCC first assessment report was completed in 1990,

global mean surface air temperature has increased by 0.3

Climate Change 1995, the IPCC Second Assessment Report

It is split into four parts:

Working Group I: The Scientific Basis

The sea level is projected to rise by 0.1 to 0.9

Human influences will continue to change

The Fourth Assessment Report (AR4)

Sea levels will probably rise by 18 to 59 cm (7.08 to

There is a confidence level >90% that there will be more

Both past and future anthropogenic carbon

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