IPCC+-+Research+and+Institutions

Welcome to the IPCC Research and Institutions, if you want to learn about IPCC Conventions and Efforts, click here.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)was created by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization to focus on climate change. Scientific, economic and technical information is analyzed by scientists all over the world. They recognize that climate change is a reality we face today, and decided to deepen their studies over the topic. Studies are mostly presented at UN Conferences to show the world the current situation. The IPCC does no researches, it reviews, analyze and asses the climate data. The IPPC creates programs such as the Annex I Countries, which adopt policies to contribute less to climate change. However, it is very important that the IPCC is conscious of the capital costs for each country, so it is reviewed several times by the scientists. If the costs and the climate are not compatible, then there is a great amount of damage function. If any damage happens, the scientists will have to work to find solutions. For these reasons, a positive feedback is always expected and studied. The IPCC also studies climate sensitivity, which refers to the equilibrium in the world surface, relating to CO2 and other gases. Scientists from all over the world work as volunteers on the IPCC. They review all the data, and ensure that the objective is achieved. One of the main “researches” in the IPCC is the GHG Reduction Potential, which is the study of reduction of greenhouse gases. The IPCC is of “scientific and intergovernmental nature” it provide accurate scientific information. Since the governments are part of the UN, they should abide to the Annex I and other programs.

If you want to check out the IPCC actual page, [|click here]

__**Key Terms**__ //(according to the IPCC http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/glossary/ipcc-glossary.pdf)//

Annex I of the FCCC lists the countries who were members of the OECD in 1992, 11 countries undergoing the process of transition to a market economy, and the European Economic Community. Annex I parties are committed to adopt national policies and take measures to mitigate climate change.
 * Annex I Countries**

Costs associated with the capital or investment expenditures on land, plant, equipment and inventories. Unlike labour and operating costs, capital costs are independent of the level of output.
 * Capital costs**

The accumulation of machines and structures that are available to an economy at any point in time to produce goods or render services. These activities usually require a quantity of energy that is determined largely by the rate at which that machine or structure is used.
 * Capital stocks**

Climate is usually defined as the "average weather", or more rigorously, as the statistical description of the weather in terms of the mean and variability of relevant quantities over periods of several decades (typically three decades as defined by WMO). These quantities are most often surface variables such as temperature, precipitation, and wind, but in a wider sense the "climate" is the description of the state of the climate system.
 * Climate**

A change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.
 * Climate change (FCCC usage)**

In IPCC reports, climate sensitivity usually refers to the long-term (equilibrium) change in global mean surface temperature following a doubling of atmospheric CO2 (or equivalent CO2) concentration. More generally, it refers to the equilibrium change in surface air temperature following a unit change in radiative forcing ( ̊C/W m-2).
 * Climate sensitivity**

The relation between changes in the climate and reductions in economic activity relative to the rate that would be possible in an unaltered climate.
 * Damage function**

When one variable in a system triggers changes in a second variable that in turn ultimately affects the original variable; a positive feedback intensifies the effect, and a negative feedback reduces the effect.
 * Feedback**

Possible reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases (quantified in terms of absolute reductions or in percentages of baseline emissions) that can be achieved through the use of technologies and measures.
 * GHG Reduction Potential**

**EXPERT**
**Paulo Artaxo** is an environmental physics professor at the Universidade de São Paulo. His awards vary between Doctorate in Philosophy and Honoris Causa of the University of Stockholm. He became chair of the Applied Physics Department (APD), works on IPCC Working group 1. He does not only work on the IPCC as international organization, but the IGAC, WMO, CACGP, IGBP and others. He also works on the Scientific Steering Committee of the LBA Experiment, The Large Scale Biosphere-Athmosphere Experiment in Amazonia. He focuses over radiative effects regarding aerosols. Since the IPCC is an organization where several opinions are taken into consideration within the discussions, every opinion is clear.

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sources: [|IPCC Site]