IPCC assessments provide a scientific basis for governments at all levels to develop climate related policies, and they underlie negotiations at the UN Climate Conference.

Government representatives and scientists from across the world are meeting in Stockholm to finalise a report assessing the evidence for climate change and its causes.

The report builds on the four previous assessment reports produced by the IPCC since it was established in 1988, incorporating the scientific literature published since the last assessment report in 2007.

The first part of the latest report deals with the physical science basis of climate change. During the next one year, the panel will release two more parts of the report based on thousands of peer reviewed studies.

"The scientific evidence for anthropogenic climate change has strengthened year by year, leaving fewer uncertainties about the serious consequences of inaction, despite the fact that there remain knowledge gaps and uncertainties in some areas of climate science," said QinDahe, co-chair of IPCC Working Group I.

The report will become the foundation for countries arriving at any climate change treaty by 2015, to be implemented by 2020.

For the Fifth Assessment report as a whole, a total of 831 authors and review editors were selected.