IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The IPCC was started in 1989 through collaboration by the United Nations (UN) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO).  It was tasked with the responsibility of providing comprehensive, objective, and open scientific information regarding climate change, impacts of climate change, scientific knowledge of climate change, and possible measures to effect the changing climate.  Governed by the UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) and the WMO, it is organized into four groups.  Each of the four groups relies on many contributors to produce and analyze the scientific information they collect and report on.  The four groups are designated as:

• Working Group One "The Physical Science Basis"; (referred to as WG I)
• Working Group Two "Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability"; (WG II)
• Working Group Three "Mitigation of Climate Change"; (WG III) and
• Task Force on National GHG Inventories (TFI).

These four groups are regulated by the IPCC Plenary and Bureau.  Members of the IPCC Bureau are elected by the Plenary.  The activities of the four groups are overseen by the Secretariat. 

Since it's creation in 1989, the IPCC has released four Assessment Reports, in addition to several 'Special Reports', 'Methodology Reports' and various translations of these reports.  Assessment Reports consist of content provided by each of the three working groups.  Reports were produced in 1990, 1995, 2001, 2007, and a fifth Assessment Report is in progress.