United Nations Radio

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has welcomed a report on the review of its work released on Monday.

Rajendra Pachauri

The report has been compiled by the Inter-Academy Council (IAC) at the request of United Nations Secretary-General and the Chairman of the IPCC in March this year.

The review followed reports early this year that there were errors in the IPCC assessments of the causes of climate change and that the body was biased towards climate change policy.

The IPCC Chairman, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri notes that the IAC review is the seventh review and was limited to the IPCC's procedures and process.

He points out that several of other six reviews looked directly at the science of climate change and none of these studies found flaws with the fundamental science of climate change.

However, Dr. Pachauri stresses that this does not mean that the "IPCC cannot improve. It can and will."

"We have listened to and learned from our critics. Several of them have provided thoughtful recommendations that will inform not only the IPCC but all of climate science and strengthen both. At the IPCC plenary in October, the governments that form the IPCC will carefully review the recommendations from the IAC. It is important to remember that those governments will decide what actions to take."

Dr. Pachauri says that "whatever those actions are, it is clear that the recommendations from the IAC and other organizations will help guide the processes and procedures of the IPCC's future assessments of climate science."

He underscores that science thrives on honest, well reasoned debate, and that there has been a productive debate this year about how to further strengthen the IPCC's work.

Dianne Penn, United Nations Radio
(duration: 1'56")