| Carbon Dioxide and Climate: A Scientific Assessment | |
|---|---|
 Cover of the report | |
| Created | 1979 |
| Commissioned by | National Academy of Sciences |
| Author(s) | |
The Charney Report, formally titled Carbon Dioxide and Climate: A Scientific Assessment, is an American scientific report published in 1979 that predicts global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions from human use of fossil fuels.
When early climate models predicted a rise in average surface temperatures, the White House asked the president of the National Academy of Sciences to assess their scientific robustness. Meteorologist Jule Charney was charged with this task and assembled eight renowned climate researchers.
They concluded that the model projections, particularly those of Syukuro Manabe and James E. Hansen, were consistent with scientific knowledge of the physical processes governing the climate system and indicated that humanity was changing the climate through the greenhouse effect. Despite advances in scientific knowledge, their estimated equilibrium climate sensitivity of 3 °C (±1.5 °C) has remained largely unchallenged - with only minor refinements - over the ensuing forty years.
The publication of the Charney Report is considered a milestone in the history of understanding climate change.