Bert Bolin is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Stockholm, Sweden. He is a former Director of the International Institute for Meteorology in Stockholm, and former Scientific Advisor to the Swedish Prime Minister. He was Chairman of the IPCC from 1988 to 1997. Professor Bolin has received many awards during his career, including the Blue Planet Prize from the Asahi Glass Foundation, the Rossby Medal from the American Meteorological Society, the Global Environmental Leadership Award from the World Bank, and the Arrhenius Medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Foreword; Abbreviations; Part I. The Early History of the Climate Change Issue: 1. Nineteenth century discoveries; 2. The natural carbon cycle and life on earth; 3. Global research initiatives in meteorology and climatology; 4. Early international assessments of climate change; Part II. The Climate Change Issue Becomes One of Global Concern: 5. Setting the stage; 6. The scientific basis for a climate convention; 7. Serving the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee; 8. The IPCC second assessment report; 9. In the aftermath of the IPCC second assessment; 10. The Kyoto Protocol is agreed and a third assessment begun; 11. A decade of hesitance and slow progress; Part III. Are We at a Turning Point in Addressing Climate Change?: 12. Key scientific findings of prime political relevance; 13. Climate change and a future sustainable global energy supply; Some concluding remarks; Notes; References; Name index; Subject index.