[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 72 (Friday, April 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19277-19278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-9212]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3643]


Bureau of Oceans, International Environmental and Scientific 
Affairs; Notice of the Availability of Draft Synthesis Report of the 
IPCC Third Assessment Report and Request for Comments

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has 
prepared a draft Synthesis Report for its Third Assessment Report (TAR) 
on Climate Change. The IPCC is an international scientific body that 
prepares assessments on the state of knowledge on climate change, its 
potential impacts, and options for response. The topics covered by the 
Panel are diverse and range from detection and attribution of climate 
change, evaluation of climate models, and prediction of climate change, 
to impacts of climate change on ecosystems and human activities, 
evaluation of options for adaptation, and technical assessments of 
options for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.
    During April and May, 2001, IPCC is coordinating a simultaneous 
expert and government review of the draft Synthesis Report. This report 
synthesizes the information contained in the Third Assessment Report, 
including on the rate and magnitude of climate change, the extent of 
impacts, and the costs and benefits of different response strategies. 
In addition to its own expert review, the IPCC Secretariat accepts both 
expert and government comments on this report through national 
governments.
    The U.S. Subcommittee on Global Change Research (SGCR) is 
coordinating the preparation of the comments of the U.S.G. Through this 
notice, the SGCR is announcing the availability of the draft Synthesis 
Report of the IPCC's Third Assessment Report and is requesting comments 
on the draft report by April 27, 2001 from scientists, experts and 
other interested organizations and individuals. The comments received 
will be reviewed, combined, and incorporated, as appropriate, in the 
process of preparing the set of official USG comments to the IPCC. It 
should be noted that this is a draft report and should not be cited or 
quoted as it is still undergoing review and is likely to be changed.
    Comments on the review draft should indicate: (1) Name, 
affiliation, postal address, email address, and other contact 
information; and (2) the general area of expertise of the reviewer. 
Reviewer comments on the draft Synthesis Report of the IPCC's Third 
Assessment Report (preferably submitted as an attachment to an email 
message) must be received at the email addresses indicated below on or 
before April 27, 2001. The SGCR cannot extend this deadline because the 
member countries of the IPCC have established a strict timetable for 
the review process and require prompt submission of USG comments.

ADDRESSES: Interested individuals or organizations may register as a 
reviewer and access the draft Synthesis Report at the Global Change 
Research Information Office (GCRIO) website at http://www.gcrio.org/ipccform/. Alternatively, requests with the required information (see 
above) may be sent electronically to GCRIO at ``[email protected]''; or to 
GCRIO at P. O. Box 1000, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, New York 10964. Review 
comments should be submitted via email to [email protected]. 
Review comments should be in Microsoft Word or WordPerfect and 
formatted according to guidance provided on the GCRIO website. If email 
submission is not possible, review comments may be submitted via mail 
to: US Comments, IPCC TAR Synthesis Report, Office of the U.S. Global 
Change Research Program, 400 Virginia Avenue, SW, Suite 750, 
Washington, DC 20024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: IPCC TAR Review Coordinator, Office of 
the U.S. Global Change Research Program, Suite 750, 400 Virginia 
Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20024; or telephone 202-488-8630, fax to 
202-488-8681, or send an email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was jointly 
established in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Programme and the 
World Meteorological Organization to conduct periodic assessments of 
the state of knowledge concerning global climate change. The first 
Scientific Assessment Report was prepared in 1990 and the Second 
Assessment Report was prepared in 1995. The IPCC has formed three 
working groups to conduct its assesments. Working Group I addresses the 
state of the science on what is happening and projected to

[[Page 19278]]

happen to the climate system; Working Group II addresses the state of 
the science on regional, sectoral and cross-sectoral impacts of, and 
adaptation to, climate change, including the social dimensions and 
economic costs and benefits; and Working Group III addresses the state 
of science concerning mitigation of climate change, including the 
social aspects and economic costs and benefits, and methodological 
aspects of cross-cutting issues. The individual reports of the working 
groups were approved in January and February. The Summary for 
Policymakers for each report is available on the IPCC Web site at 
http://www.ipcc.ch/.
    The IPCC reports are prepared by hundreds of scientists from well 
over 50 countries. They provide a comprehensive assessment of the state 
of knowledge concerning topics such as scientific information, 
environmental impacts, response strategies, and other issues concerning 
climate change. Each report contains numerous technical chapters 
prepared by experts in the field, and a Summary for Policymakers that 
is based on the technical chapters but negotiated line-by-line by 
governments. As part of the Third Assessment Report, the IPCC is 
currently preparing a Synthesis Report based on the three working group 
reports. This report will address a series of policy-relevant science 
questions that have been approved by member governments of the IPCC. 
These questions explore the effects, costs, and benefits of different 
stabilization targets for atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse 
gases. The report is intended as input to deliberations within the UN 
Framework Convention on Climate Change.

II. Review Process

    The member countries of the IPCC have established a timetable to 
ensure that the IPCC Secretariat can meet its obligations for a timely 
completion of the IPCC Third Assessment Report. The SGCR is responsible 
for coordinating preparation of the USG response, and through this 
notice is seeking the views of experts and interested organizations and 
individuals to help in the formulation of its response. Comments will 
be reviewed, integrated, and used, as appropriate, in the preparation 
of the official USG comments. An information sheet providing specific 
guidance on formatting comments is provided Global Change Research 
Information Office (GCRIO) website. All comments must provide the name 
and affiliation of the reviewer, and an indication of their area of 
expertise. This is in accord with the IPCC practice that all reviewer 
comments are attributed. To be most useful, comments should be specific 
in suggesting alternative wording or other changes to the text of a 
particular paragraph or section and, where appropriate, offer 
supporting information and peer-reviewed references and/or reference 
relevant sections of the approved working group reports. Comments on 
the overall tone and scientific validity of the report and comments 
expressing the reasons for agreement or disagreement with specific 
major points are also solicited. Reviews should consider the 
consistency of the Synthesis Report with the underlying materials, 
particularly the Summaries for Policymakers for the three Working 
Groups and the selection and representation of major points.

III. Public Availability of Comments

    Subsequent to the USG assembly of its comments, the collection of 
comments received will be available for public inspection at the 
Department of State Reading Room. Note that the IPCC draft reports are 
only available over the Web. The official US Government comments will 
also subsequently be posted on the Web at http://www.state.gov/www/global/global_issues/climate/index.html.

    Dated: April 9, 2001.
Trigg Talley,
Acting Director, Office of Global Change, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. 01-9212 Filed 4-12-01; 8:45 am]
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