The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was jointly established in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization to conduct periodic assessments of the state of knowledge concerning global climate change. The periodic assessment reports prepared by the IPCC provide a comprehensive statement of the state of knowledge concerning topics such as scientific information, environmental impacts, response strategies, and other issues concerning climate change. Additional information on the IPCC is available on their Web site at http://www.ipcc.ch/ .

The IPCC has formed three working groups to study various aspects of climate change. Each Working Group is charged with issuing periodic assessments.

Working Group I: Climate System and Climate Change addresses the state of the science concerning what is happening and is projected to happen to the climate system.

Working Group II: Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability addresses the state of the science concerning regional, sectoral and cross-sectoral impacts of, and adaptation to, climate change, including the social dimensions (e.g., equity) and economic costs and benefits.

Working Group III: Mitigation of Climate Change addresses the state of science concerning mitigation of climate change, including the social aspects and economic costs and benefits, and methodological aspects of cross-cutting issues.

Based on the three Working Group reports, a Synthesis Report is prepared. This report brings together information in response to specific questions posed by policymakers.