Federal Register notice (dtd 7 April 2006)

Available upon request: U.S. Government collation in support of the Expert and Government Review of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group I Fourth Assessment Report.  To obtain a copy, please submit a request to . (posted 13 June 2006).

Introduction

Comments were due 9 May 2006 via wg14AR-USGreview@climatescience.gov [comment period now is closed]

The Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has informed the U.S. Department of State that the second-order draft of Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis is available for expert and government review. IPCC Working Group I is overseeing preparation of this contribution to the Fourth Assessment Report, adhering to IPCC rules and procedures.

On behalf of the U.S. Department of State, the Climate Change Science Program Office (CCSPO) is coordinating the solicitation of comments by U.S. experts and stakeholders to inform development of an integrated set of U.S. Government comments on the report. To be considered in development of the U.S. position, comments must be received at CCSPO by close of business 9 May 2006 [comment period now is closed] . Comments must be sent to the following e-mail address using the template for comments that is provided (see detailed instructions below): wg14AR-USGreview@climatescience.gov. Comments submitted as part of the U.S. Government Review should be reserved for that purpose, and not also sent to the IPCC Working Group I Technical Support Unit as a discrete set of expert comments.

Because the report is still in draft, distribution of the materials for review will be through a password-protected website. If you are interested in reviewing the report, send a message -- with your name and affiliation in the subject line -- to ipcc-usgrev@climatescience.gov to obtain the username and password required to access the report. Then follow this link [link deactivated when comment period ended] to download the report and to obtain explicit instructions regarding comments formatting.

BACKGROUND

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 relevant 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, with all to be finalized in 2007. 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. These assessments are based upon the peer-reviewed literature and are characterized by an extensive and open review process involving both scientific/technical experts and governments before being accepted by the IPCC.

Refer to the following links/documents for more detailed information about scoping, schedules, and reviews to date:

• General overview of Fourth Assessment Report development
• Fourth Assessment Report scoping meetings
• Working Group I volume outline [PDF]
• List of Working Group I volume authors [PDF]
• Working Group I volume development schedule [PDF]
• IPCC Rules and Procedures

LOGISTICS

After obtaining the username and password via ipcc-usgrev@climatescience.gov, follow this link [link deactivated when comment period ended] to access the report and review instructions. To facilitate the U.S. compilation, please use the comment template to submit comments. Forward your comments to wg14AR-USGreview@climatescience.gov by COB 9 May 2006 [comment period now is closed] , referencing the Working Group I volume and your surname in the subject line (e.g., *wg14AR: Smith*).

This document is still in draft and has not been accepted or approved by the Panel and is provided for the sole purpose of review.

PLEASE DO NOT CITE, QUOTE, OR DISTRIBUTE THE DRAFT REPORT

For questions regarding the U.S. Government Review process, contact Dave Dokken at ddokken@usgcrp.gov or 202-419-3473 (direct voice).

For questions or comments on these web pages, send mail to webmaster@usgcrp.gov.