This report discusses building the state's knowledge of the actual and foreseeable effects of climate warming in Alaska. Developing appropriate measures and policies to prepare communities in Alaska for the anticipated impacts from climate change. Providing guidance regarding Alaska's participation in regional and national efforts addressing causes and effects of climate change

Developing country policy makers will need to consider the national policy instruments they will need to contribute to the fight against climate change. As discussions on the international level are underway through the Bali Road Map, a national level discussion can help governments reflect on the types of policies they should use, as well as how to seek internal and external financial resources and how to reflect their views in the negotiations of a future climate change agreement. There is a rich array of policy instruments being used by developing countries to achieve national objectives, such as improving local air pollution and reducing poverty. Most of these policies also reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. These policies, measures and instruments include: regulations and standards, taxes and charges, tradable permits, voluntary agreements, informational instruments, subsidies and incentives, research and development, and trade and development assistance. Depending on the legal frameworks available to countries, these may be implemented nationally, regionally or locally. They may be supplemented with rules, guidelines and other administrative mechanisms to achieve different goals. They may be legally binding or voluntary and they may be fixed or changeable.

Climate change is one of the greatest threats to our planet and its people. Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) is called mitigation. Responding to the impacts of climate change is called adaptation. A certain amount of adaptation will be necessary, no matter what we do. But, there will come a point where it will not be possible to adapt our way out of the problem.

This paper addresses adaptation measures that reduce vulnerability to climate change as critical, especially in many countries where the risks are here and now. It is intended provide policymakers with a starting point, including background information and questions for further reflection.

This paper is one of a series produced for the project that provides in-depth information on the four thematic building blocks of the Bali Action Plan—mitigation, adaptation, technology and finance—as well as on land-use, land-use change and forestry. The project materials also include executive summaries for policymakers, background briefing documents and workshop presentations. These materials will be used for national awareness raising workshops in the participating countries.

The report describes activities and plans of the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), highlighting recent progress in each of the program's research and observational elements. The document also describes how observational and predictive capabilities are being improved and used to create tools to support decision making at local, regional, and national scales to cope with environmental variability and change.

This Synthesis and Assessment Product (SAP 3.1) focuses on the Climate models. Scientists extensively use mathematical models of Earth's climate, executed on the most powerful computers available, to examine hypotheses about past and present-day climates. Development of climate models is fully consistent with approaches being taken in many other fields of science dealing with very complex systems. These climate simulations provide a framework within which enhanced understanding of climate-relevant processes, along with improved observations, are merged into coherent projections of future climate change. This report describes the models and their ability to simulate current climate.

This report discusses the impacts of deforestation and reforestation on carbon emissions and carbon storage, and how change in land cover will affect future trends in climate change and carbon levels.