Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

International climate body to be reviewed

Updated at 10:17 pm on 11 March 2010

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked the world's science academies to review work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The IPCC has been under pressure over small errors in its last major assessment of climate science in 2007, the BBC says.

Work will be co-ordinated by the Inter-Academy Council, which will convene a panel of experts to conduct the review.

The council's co-chair, Robbert Dijkgraaf, says it will look at how the IPCC's procedures can be improved, so it can avoid certain types of errors.

Mr Ban has defended the panel, saying the overall concept of man-made climate change is robust, and action to curb emissions badly needed.

"Let me be clear - the threat posed by climate change is real. I have seen no credible evidence that challenges the main conclusions of [the IPCC's 2007] report."

Nevertheless, he says, there had been "a few errors" in the 3000-page report and there was a need to ensure full transparency, accuracy and objectivity.

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