Background of IPCC Guidelines

In 1988, preceding the creation of the UNFCCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was jointly established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The mission of the IPCC is to assess available scientific information on climate change, assess the environmental and socio-economic impacts of climate change, and formulate response strategies (IPCC 1996).

Under Working Group 1 of the IPCC, nearly 140 scientists and national experts from more than thirty countries collaborated in the creation of the Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (IPCC/UNEP/OECD/IEA 1997) to ensure that the emission inventories submitted to the UNFCCC are consistent and comparable between nations. The Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines were accepted by the IPCC at its Twelfth Session (Mexico City, 11-13 September 1996).