Recognising the problem of potential global climate change, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988.

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.

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.

A main activity of the IPCC is to provide in regular intervals an assessment of the state of knowledge on climate change. The IPCC also prepares Special Reports and Technical Papers on topics where independent scientific information and advice is deemed necessary and it supports the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) through its work on methodologies for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories.