The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was set up in 1988 to provide an authoritative, international consensus of scientific opinion on climate change. The comprehensive Assessment Reports and the more focused Special Reports are the most up-to-date analyses of all aspects of the climate change issue.

The IPCC consolidates and synthesises information from a huge range of literature and data in an attempt to answer such general questions as:

• Has the Earth’s climate changed as a result of human activities?
• In what ways is climate projected to change in the future?
• How vulnerable are agriculture, water supply, ecosystems, coastal infrastructure, and human health to different levels of change in climate and sea level?
• What is the technical, economic, and market potential of options to adapt to climate change or reduce emissions of the gases that influence climate?

The new Third Assessment Report (TAR) is composed of four elements that cover the complete range of scientific, technical, economic, and social issues associated with the climate system and climate change deemed important by the expert and policymaking communities.

The Books arising from the Third Assessment Report

Working Group I Contribution: The Science of Climate Change

Working Group II Contribution: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability

Working Group III Contribution: Mitigation

The Synthesis Report: Is a shorter summary of the three Assessment Reports

For more information about the work of the IPCC, please visit their website at http://www.ipcc.ch/