Over the next five days delegates will review the report, the third this year, and thrash out any last minute amendments prior to its publication on Friday (4th May).

Contrary to the gloom and doom forecasts of the previous two volumes, the imminent report is expected to suggest that climate change can be fought effectively, but only if multilateral action is taken immediately.

The latest report, the third issued from the IPCC this year, will focus on practices conducted by various countries, with an emphasis on the economic implications of acting now or waiting until the predicted affects kick in. The report will suggest that keeping CO2 emissions with the 445-534 parts per million range (currently 430ppm) could cost less than 3% of annual gross domestic product over 20 years.

However, the US delegation attending the talks in the Thai capital is expected to argue that the report’s estimates are unrealistically low and that most nations could not afford to contribute to the effort.

The report is expected to form the backbone of the climate change discussions planned for the forthcoming G8 summit of world leaders, which is set to take place in June at the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm in Germany.

Click here for the IPCC website