IPCC—Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
www.ipch.ch (info extracted from this web page).
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established by the United Nations Environmental
Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988 to assess the scientific,
technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of human induced climate change, its
potential impacts and options for mitigation and adaptation. The IPCC has completed three full assessment
reports, guidelines and methodologies, special reports and technical papers. For more information on the IPCC,
its activities and publications please see the IPCC homepage.
AR4: Assessment Report 4
WG1: Physical science basis. 2007 table of contents.
Summary for Policymakers
Technical Summary
Frequently Asked Questions (extracted from chapters below)
------------------------1 Historical Overview of Climate Change Science
2 Changes in Atmospheric Constituents and in Radiative Forcing
3 Observations: Surface and Atmospheric Climate Change
4 Observations: Changes in Snow, Ice and Frozen Ground
5 Observations: Oceanic Climate Change and Sea Level
6 Palaeoclimate
7 Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System
and Biogeochemistry
8 Climate Models and their Evaluation
9 Understanding and Attributing Climate Change
10 Global Climate Projections
11 Regional Climate Projections
------------------------Uncertainty Guidance Note for the Fourth Assessment Report
WG !!: Impacts, adaptations and vulnerability
This is the Working Group II website. In its reports, Working Group II assesses the scientific, technical,
environmental, economic and social aspects of the vulnerability (sensitivity and adaptability) to climate change
of, and the negative and positive consequences for, ecological systems, socio-economic sectors and human
health, with an emphasis on regional sectoral and cross-sectoral issues. Working Group II is guided by a
Bureau, which is chaired by Osvaldo Canziani (Argentina) and Martin Parry (UK). Working Group II also has a
Technical Support Unit (TSU) to help direct the production of reports. The TSU is housed in the Hadley Centre
of the UK Met Office. More on the organisation of Working Group II and information for contacting members of
the TSU is available on this website.
Introduction to the Report
Summary for Policymakers
Technical Summary
Chapter 1: Assessment of Observed Changes and Responses in Natural and Managed Systems
Chapter 2: New Assesment Methods and the Characterisation of Future Conditions
Chapter 3: Fresh Water Resources and their Management
Chapter 4: Ecosystems, their Properties, Goods and Services
Chapter 5: Food, Fibre, and Forest Products
Chapter 6: Coastal Systems and Low-Lying Areas
Chapter 7: Industry, Settlement and Society
Chapter 8: Human Health
Chapter 9: Africa
Chapter 10: Asia
Chapter 11: Australia and New Zealand
Chapter 12: Europe
Chapter 13: Latin America
Chapter 14: North America
Chapter 15: Polar Regions (Arctic and Antarctic)
Chapter 16: Small Islands
Chapter 17: Assessment of Adaptation Practices, Options, Constraints and Capacity
Chapter 18: Inter-Relationships Between Adaptation and Mitigation
Chapter 19: Assessing Key Vulnerabilities and the Risk from Climate Change
Chapter 20: Perspectives on Climate Change and Sustainability
Cross-Chapter Case Studies
Appendix I: Glossary
Appendix II: List of Contributors to the WGII AR4
Appendix III: List of Reviewers of the WGII AR4
Appendix IV: Acronyms
Index
WG III: Mitigation of climate change
Draft reports available
 Technical Summary (2.1 MB)
 Chapter 1: Introduction (312 KB )
 Chapter 2: Framing Issues (590 KB)
 Chapter 3: Issues related to mitigation in the long-term context (2.5 MB)
 Chapter 4: Energy Supply (2.9 MB)
 Chapter 5: Transport and its infrastructure (1.2 MB)
 Chapter 6: Residential and commercial buildings (854 KB)
 Chapter 7: Industry (664 KB)
 Chapter 8: Agriculture (1.2 MB)
 Chapter 9: Forestry (1.3 MB)
 Chapter 10: Waste management (561 KB)
 Chapter 11: Mitigation from a cross-sectoral perspective (844 KB)
 Chapter 12: Sustainable Development and mitigation (677 KB)
 Chapter 13: Policies, instruments, and co-operative arrangements (897 KB)
 Glossary, Abbrevations, Chemical Symbols (206 KB)
AR4 Synthesis Report - Outline of Topics
Observed changes in climate and its effects (WG 1, 2)
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Past climate change including palaeoclimate aspects
Effects of past climate change on natural systems and society
Causes of change (WG 1, 2, 3)
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Natural and human-related factors
Feedbacks, via the carbon cycle and otherwise
Climate change and its impacts in the near and long term under different scenarios (WG
1, 2, 3)
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Future climate change
Vulnerabilities
Hazards, risks and opportunities
Water, agriculture, ecosystems, human well-being and development
Regional implications
Implications of timescales, inertia, and lags
Risks of abrupt or irreversible changes
Adaptation and mitigation options and responses, and the inter-relationship with
sustainable development, at global and regional levels (WG 2, 3)
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Adaptation - past experience and options and policies (including costs/benefits, cobenefits, and spillover effects), extent, limits, effectiveness and enhancement,
sectoral and regional considerations, current, medium-, and long-term
Mitigation - past experience and options and policies (including costs/benefits, cobenefits, and spillover effects), extent, limits, effectiveness and enhancement,
sectoral and regional considerations, current, medium-, and long-term
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Relationship between adaptation and mitigation options
Technology: timing, development, transfer, environment and integration issues
International cooperation
The long term perspective: scientific and socio-economic aspects relevant to adaptation
and mitigation, consistent with the objectives and provisions of the Convention, and in the
context of sustainable development
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Costs, benefits and avoided damage and risks at global and regional levels and
under different scenarios
Timing of mitigation and equity implications
Relationship between adaptation and mitigation
Technology flows and development
Broader environment and integration issues
Robust findings, key uncertainties