Notice of Availability of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Draft Synthesis Report and Public Comment Period

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 2241]

Notice of Availability of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change (IPCC) Draft Synthesis Report and Public Comment Period

AGENCY: Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and International

Environmental and Scientific Affairs.

SUMMARY: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has

prepared a draft report titled: ``The IPCC Assessment of Knowledge

Relevant to the Interpretation of Article 2 of the UN Framework

Convention on Climate Change: A Synthesis Report 1995'' based on

material prepared and reviewed by each of its working groups (on

science, impacts and response strategies, and economics and

crosscutting issues). This draft 38-page report (plus tables and

figures), and its 8-page Summary for Policymakers, needs to be peer-

reviewed by experts and governments. The IPCC Secretariat requires

comments on this report to effect appropriate revisions prior to the

final acceptance of the synthesis report and review and line-by-line

adoption of the Summary for Policymakers at a plenary session of the

IPCC in December 1995 in Rome. The U.S. Subcommittee on Global Change

Research (SGCR) will be responsible for coordinating the preparations

of the comments of the United States Government. Through this notice,

we are announcing the availability of the draft report, and requesting

comments on the report by noon, September 6, 1995 from experts and

interested groups and individuals. These comments will be reviewed,

combined and incorporated as appropriate, in the process of preparing

official U.S. Government comments to the IPCC.

DATES: Written comments (hard copy and if possible on a 3.5 inch

diskette in either Microsoft Word or WordPerfect format) on the draft

Synthesis Report should be received on or before noon,

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September 6, 1995. The deadline cannot be extended because the IPCC has

a strict timetable for the review process.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted by mail to: IPCC Synthesis

Report Comments, Office of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, 300

D Street SW, Suite 840, Washington, DC 20024 or by E-mail in ASCII

format on Internet to ``[email protected]''. Copies of the draft

Synthesis Report may be obtained by (1) telephone request to Ms. Sandra

Vaughn-Cooke at (202) 651-8250; (2) sending an E-mail to

``[email protected]''; (3) faxing a request to (202) 554-6715 or (4)

sending a letter directed to Ms. Vaughn-Cooke at the address above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Dr. Michael MacCracken, Office of the

U.S. Global Change Research Program at (202) 651-8250, or Mr. Daniel A.

Reifsnyder, Director, Office of Global Change, U.S. Department of State

at (202) 647-4069.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was jointly

established by the United Nations Environment Program and the World

Meteorological Organization to conduct periodic assessments of the

state of knowledge concerning climate change. Working Group I addresses

the state of the science; Working Group II addresses vulnerability to

and impacts of climate change, as well as mitigation and adaptation

response options; and Working Group III addresses economics and other

cross-cutting issues. Each working group is charged with issuing

periodic assessments. The first assessment report was issued in 1990, a

second assessment is anticipated for release in December 1995.

In addition to the three Working Group reports and their Summaries

for Policymakers, the IPCC has prepared a report titled: ``The IPCC

Assessment of Knowledge Relevant to the Interpretation of Article 12 of

the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: A Synthesis Report

1995.'' The Synthesis Report is accompanied by a Summary for

Policymakers which will be approved on a line-by-line basis in

December. The Synthesis Report is based on the contribution of all

three working groups and their draft summaries for policymakers--which

are now being reviewed and will be approved on a line-by-line basis by

IPCC member governments. The Working Group I report is to be approved

in Madrid in November 1995; the Working Group II report is to be

approved in Montreal in October 1995, and Working Group III has

approved part of its report (in Geneva in July) and will conclude its

approval process in Montreal in October 1995.

Public Input Process

The member countries of the IPCC have established a timetable that

includes a brief period for comments from governments so that the IPCC

can meet its timetable for a timely completion of the Second Assessment

Report--including this Article 2 synthesis document. The Subcommittee

on Global Change Research is responsible for coordinating the

preparation of the U.S. response. Through this notice, the U.S.

Government is seeking the views of experts and interested groups and

individuals to help in the formulation of its response. Comments that

are provided will be reviewed, integrated, and used, as appropriate, in

the preparation of the official U.S. comments.

According to the IPCC proposed process, to the extent that there

are modifications to these underlying reports, the Article 2 synthesis

document will be modified to maintain consistency among all the

reports. The IPCC has requested that all comments be forwarded to the

Secretariat by September 12, 1995. In order to allow time for U.S.

Government review, all reviewers are requested to submit their comments

no later than noon, September 6, 1995.

An information sheet providing specific requests for formatting

submissions will be provided with each mailing of the synthesis report.

In this review process, the emphasis should be on providing detailed

recommendations on specific areas in which the reviewer has expertise.

To be most useful, comments should be specific in suggesting wording

changes to the text of a particular paragraph or section, and where

appropriate offer supporting information and peer reviewed references

supporting the proposed changes. Comments on the overall tone and the

scientific validity of the Report, and those expressing agreement or

disagreement with specific major points in the Executive Summary are

also solicited.

Dated: August 17, 1995.

Rafe Pomerance,

Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Oceans and International

Environmental and Scientific Affairs.

[FR Doc. 95-20791 Filed 8-21-95; 8:45 am]

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