The International Geosphere-Biosphere Program is an international program operating since 1987 under the International Council for Science – ICSU – that has established a world-wide net of scientists to accomplish interdisciplinary researches on Global Change and also about the Global System urging to understand and provide answers about the on-going environmental changes in our Planet. In order to achieve these goals this Program has already contributed with the settlement of the Earth System Science Partnership – EESP, together with other three major programs on global environment change:

• WCRP – World Climate Research Programme
• IHDP – International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change
• DIVERSITAS – International Programme of Biodiversity Science

IGBP is directed by a scientific committee composed of members nominated by ICSU and is administrated by a secretariat based at the Royal Academy of Sciences in Sweden, Stockholm. IGBP is supported by contributions of about 50 countries and operates locally through National Committees on global change or through Regional Offices.

IGBP was launched in 1987 to coordinate international research on global-scale and regional-scale interactions between Earth's biological, chemical and physical processes and their interactions with human systems. IGBP views the Earth system as the Earth's natural physical, chemical and biological cycles and processes AND the social and economic dimensions. (http://www.igbp.net/)

Facts
IGBP is a world-class provider of

• Earth system expertise
• Communication
• Coordination
• IGBP's vision supports ICSU's vision for Earth system science