E7-9752. United States Climate Change Science Program

The United States Climate Change Science Program requests expert review of the fourth and final volume of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (“Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report”).

The IPCC was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988. In accordance with its mandate and as reaffirmed in various decisions by the Panel, the major activity of the IPCC is to prepare comprehensive and up-to-date assessments of policy-relevant scientific, technical, and socio-economic information for understanding the scientific basis of climate change, potential impacts, and options for mitigation and adaptation. The First Assessment Report was completed in 1990, the Second Assessment Report in 1995, and the Third Assessment Report in 2001. Three working group volumes and a synthesis report comprise the Fourth Assessment Report. 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, potential negative and positive consequences, and options for adapting to it; and Working Group III assesses options for limiting greenhouse gas emissions and otherwise mitigating climate change. So far in 2007, all three working groups have had their contributions to the Fourth Assessment Report accepted by the Panel. These assessments were based upon the peer-reviewed literature and have been characterized by an extensive and open review process involving both scientific/technical experts and governments before being accepted by the IPCC.

The IPCC Secretariat has informed the U.S. Department of State that the second-order draft of the Synthesis Report of the Fourth Assessment Report is available for Expert and Government Review. This volume is composed of a Summary for Policymakers and an underlying report, integrating materials—in a non-technical fashion—contained within the three working group contributions to the Fourth Assessment Report.

The Climate Change Science Program Office (CCSPO) is coordinating collection of U.S. expert comments and the review of this collations by panels of Federal scientists and program managers to develop a consolidated U.S. Government submission. Instructions on how to format comments are available at http://www.climatescience.gov/​Library/​ipcc/​syr4ar-review.htm, as is the document itself and other supporting materials. Comments must be sent to CCSPO by 27 June 2007 to be considered for inclusion in the U.S. Government collation. Comments submitted for consideration as part of the U.S. Government Review should be reserved for that purpose, and not also sent to the IPCC Secretariat as a discrete set of expert comments.

Properly formatted comments should be sent to CCSPO at [e-mail] by COB Wednesday, 27 June 2007. Include report acronym and reviewer surname in e-mail subject title to facilitate processing.

For further information, please contact David Dokken, U.S. Climate Change Science Program, Suite 250, 1717 Pennsylvania Ave, NW., Washington, DC 20006 (http://www.climatescience.gov).

Dated: May 14, 2007.

Drew Nelson,

Acting Office Director, Office of Global Change, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Department of State.