Scientific evidence on climate change increased throughout the 1980s; by the end of the decade, some industrialised countries were calling for negotiations on a climate change convention.

In 1988 the World Meteorological Organisation and the United Nations Environment Programme jointly established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to provide scientific advice to policymakers on the problem of global climate change. The IPCC regularly assesses the science of climate change, its associated impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, as well as mitigation options. The IPCC scientific assessments are available directly from this website.

The next challenge for the international community will be to define a second phase of the international climate regime. The reporting period for the first stage of Kyoto is 2008-12; this means that if the agreement is to continue after 2012 a new set of emission reduction targets will need to be negotiated.

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Here you can take an in depth look at the international climate change treaty with plenty of technical information.

International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP)
IHDP is an international social science research programme to address the most pressing questions of the human dimensions of global environmental change.