How close have been the predictions of the InterGovernmental Panel on Climate Change - IPCC?

Answer 1

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an organization set up by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1988. Its aims are to assess the impacts of human induced climate change, its impacts and possible adaptation and mitigation.

The IPCC, which is made up of many climate related scientists who perform their work on a voluntary base, does not conduct any research itself. It makes periodical assessments based on all the available mostly peer-reviewed scientific studies, papers and research published to date by climate related scientists (climatologists, biologists, paleo-climatologists, oceanographers, physicists, etc.) world-wide.

Their latest assessment from 2007 (the so called Fourth Assessment) was written by 620 authors and editors from 40 countries. Its next assessment is due in 2014.

To date, the IPCC's predictions have been pretty accurate, perhaps even too conservative some argue. For example, IPCC estimates from their first assessment report that the global temperature would increase by 0.15 °C and 0.3 °C per decade has proven to be true as over the last 10 years the global temperature increased 0.2 °C.

In its latest assessment the IPCC also predicted an increase in heat-waves, heavy rainfall, and increased flood risks, all of which have increased over the past few years.