International Agencies

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The IPCC was established by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme in 1988. Its role is to assess the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for understanding the risk of human-induced climate change. Its assessments are based mainly on peer-reviewed and published scientific and technical literature. The IPCC's reports have played an important role in shaping international negotiations on climate change. These and other documents are often cited in the media and by others working on the climate change issue. All publications are available through this website, which also provides links to other international agencies.

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
The IISD, based in Canada, is engaged nationally and internationally in addressing climate change and adaptation. This site links to a range of documents and analysis relevant to Canada and to the international community. IISD has joined other research organizations from around the world to create the Climate Change Knowledge Network, which brings together expertise, experience and perspectives from more than a dozen organizations from developing, transitional and developed countries.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP.net is a portal that provides a central source for substantive work and information resources regarding climate change. It features a range of climate change graphics, news items, publications and other information on this issue, as well as links to many other documents and agencies working on climate change.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
The UNFCCC was adopted in 1992 and the Kyoto Protocol to the convention was adopted in 1997. This site contains an excellent and comprehensive information kit to help visitors with everything from what climate change is to dealing with the consequences. It features facts on the international conventions and ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This site is a good one-stop shop for official international documents and the history of climate change negotiations.

World Health Organization (WHO)
The United Nations' World Health Organization site looks at climate change from a human health perspective, providing access to various documents and other sites with this focus. It's a good source of global information on the existing and predicted impacts of climate change on human health. The WHO Regional Office for Europe has a site dedicated to climate change and adaptation strategies for human health in Europe.

Government

Government of Alberta
This site describes the Alberta government's approach to dealing with climate change, including recent publications and related activities. The site links to Climate Change Central, which is a public-private partnership that promotes the development of innovative responses to global climate change and its impacts.

Government of Canada
This site is the main entry point for information on what's happening in Canada at the federal and provincial levels on climate change and what the implications might be for this country. It contains information for students, teachers, and the media, as well as tips and specific actions Canadians can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and links to documents produced by the government of Canada on climate change.

Office of Energy Efficiency - Canada (OEE)
Established in April 1998 as part of Natural Resources Canada, the OEE's mandate is to renew, strengthen and expand Canada's commitment to energy efficiency. The OEE originated out of Canada's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by six percent below 1990 levels by the period between 2008 and 2012, as agreed to in the Kyoto Protocol. The OEE manages 17 energy efficiency and alternative fuels programs aimed at the residential, commercial, industrial and transportation sectors. It keeps Canadians abreast of developments in technology that can reduce the consumption of fossil fuels or support the transition to less carbon-intensive energy sources, including renewable energy.

US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)
This is a comprehensive, easy-to-navigate website with clear language. Its Visitor Center contains information for a wide range of audiences, from kids and concerned citizens to specific sectors such as coastal residents and health professionals. Internal links lead to more detailed information and documentation. The site includes online tools and has a good selection of frequently asked questions. The data, case studies and specific impacts are largely US-based but are good for raising awareness and increasing understanding of the issue.

US Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
This site contains a great deal of information, including an energy information portal for online energy efficiency and renewable energy information. One section on energy efficiency and one on renewable energy direct visitors to a series of web pages that introduce the technologies and allowing customized searches on specific topics. These searches draw on a database of 600 web sites throughout the world.

Environmental Non-Government Organizations

Climate Action Network (CANet)
The Climate Action Network has nearly 300 non-government organization (NGO) members around the world working to protect the atmosphere while allowing for sustainable and equitable worldwide development. CANet is the recognized umbrella NGO in international negotiations. Their website covers a range of climate topics on key issues and includes analysis of various international climate change policies.

Climate Ark
Climate Ark is a climate change portal and Internet search tool constructed as a Ph.D. research project and volunteer effort for educational, non-commercial and personal purposes. It contains a climate change news archive, graphics, extensive news links, and a large directory of climate change and renewable energy links.

David Suzuki Foundation (DSF)
Climate change is one of the David Suzuki Foundation's major campaigns. DSF works collaboratively with a number of other groups on the climate change issue and their site links to these campaigns too. They provide online tools and tips for expressing your views to political leaders, the media and others, along with a wide array of publications and links.

Pembina Institute
The Pembina Institute is a Canadian-based environmental organization with a long history of work on the climate change issue. The Institute has published a great array of information on climate change policy and solutions, most of which is available as free downloads. A dedicated website on climate change solutions contains interactive tools, resources and success stories on actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in sectors ranging from individuals and families to large industry and agriculture. Another website on renewable energy provides ideas and resources for students, teachers and parents on renewable energy projects.

World Resources Institute (WRI)
WRI is a US-based environmental think tank that provides information, ideas, and solutions to global environmental problems. Their comprehensive EarthTrends portal provides an environmental overview for almost every country in the world, enabling access to data tables, searchable databases, and maps with details in ten major areas, one of which is climate change. The site provides links to other sources of information as well. This is an excellent onlineresearch tool.

Scientific and Research Organizations

Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS)
GISS research focuses on predicting atmospheric and climate changes in the 21st century. The research combines analysis of comprehensive global datasets, derived mainly from spacecraft observations, with global models of atmospheric, land surface, and oceanic processes. Study of past changes on Earth, such as paleoclimate changes, and of other planetary atmospheres serves as a useful tool in assessing our general understanding of the atmosphere and as an aid to prediction of future evolution of Earth on a planetary scale. GISS is a division of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Earth Sciences Directorate

Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research
The Hadley Centre for climate prediction and research is part of the UK Meteorological Office. It provides a focus in the United Kingdom for the scientific issues associated with climate change, undertaking a great deal of work on modeling. The Hadley Centre uses climate models to simulate global and regional climate variability and change over the last 100 years and to predict changes over the next 100 years.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducts research and gathers data about the global oceans, atmosphere, space, and sun, and applies this knowledge to science and a wide range of services. The site features "hot topics" related to climate change the focus is on U.S. data, but this site is a good source of more technical information about the physical phenomenon of climate change. NOAA has produced many excellent educational resources for students and teachers and their photo library contains an outstanding collection of space and oceanic images.

Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS)
The U.S.-based UCS is an independent non-profit partnership of 50,000 scientists and concerned citizens across the United States. It was founded in 1969 by faculty members and students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who were concerned about the misuse of science and technology in society. The site provides briefings, updates and guides on global warming, which is one of their main campaigns, and they also include a section on responding to climate change skeptics, with links to prominent skeptics' organizations. One of its programs—the UCS Global Environmental Program—combines research, outreach and policy advocacy. The Sound Science Initiative partners with more than 2,500 scientists and provides them with the tools to ensure that the UCS: raises public and policymaker awareness around climate change; builds political will for "sound science-based solutions to climate change, including ratification of the Kyoto Protocol" and links solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss.