The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) . Its objective is to provide governments at all levels with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies. The IPCC is an internationally accepted authority on climate change, and its reports play a key role in the annual climate negotiations held by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) . The IPCC is composed of governments that are members of the United Nations or WMO, and currently has 195 members. Thousands of people from all over the world contribute to the work of the IPCC, including experts who volunteer their time as IPCC authors to assess the thousands of scientific papers published each year.

The IPCC provides regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation. The IPCC determines the state of knowledge on climate change and identifies where there is agreement in the scientific community on topics related to climate change, and where further research is needed. The IPCC does not conduct its own research, but reviews and assesses the most recent scientific, technical, and socio-economic information produced worldwide relevant to the understanding of climate change. The IPCC reports are drafted and reviewed in several stages, thus guaranteeing objectivity and transparency. The IPCC reports are neutral, policy-relevant but not policy-prescriptive, and are a key input into the international negotiations to tackle climate change.

The IPCC is divided into three Working Groups and a Task Force. Working Group I deals with The Physical Science Basis of Climate Change, Working Group II with Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, and Working Group III assesses options for mitigating climate change through limiting or preventing greenhouse gas emissions. The IPCC also supports other activities such as the Data Distribution Centre, which helps manage data related to IPCC reports. An open and transparent review by experts and governments around the world is an essential part of the IPCC process, to ensure an objective and complete assessment and to reflect a diverse range of views and expertise.