PARIS - Officials from 113 countries agreed Thursday that a much-awaited
international report will say that global warming was "very likely" caused by
human activity, delegates to a climate change conference said.
Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the UN
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) opens a summit in Paris.
"Concerns about climate change and public awareness of the subject are at
an all-time high," noted Pachauri.[AFP]
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Dozens of scientists and
bureaucrats are editing the new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change in closed-door meetings in Paris. Their report, which must be unanimously
approved, is to be released Friday.
Two participants, speaking on condition of anonymity because the meetings are
confidential, said the group approved the term "very likely" in Thursday's
sessions. That means they agree that there is a 90 percent chance that global
warming is human-caused.
The last report, in 2001, said global warming was "likely" caused by human
activity. There had been speculation that the participants might try to change
the wording this time to "virtually certain," which means a 99 percent chance.
The report is considered an authoritative document that could influence
government and industrial policy worldwide.