Later this week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release its third report of the year. After presenting The Physical Science Basis and Impacts, and Adaptation and Vulnerability in the first two reports, this report looks at Mitigation of Climate Change (summaries of these reports are available as PDFs from the IPCC site).

As has happened with the two previous reports, news of the third report's contents has leaked out well in advance of the official announcement (scheduled to be made in Bangkok on Friday).

In typical fashion, Guardian Unlimited is on top of the story as they report the salient points:

We have the money and know-how to stop global warming.

Climate change could be stopped in its tracks using existing technology, but only if politicians do more to force businesses and individuals to take action…

…a range of measures can be introduced across the energy supply, transport, buildings, agriculture and forestry, industry and waste sectors. The best way to limit future emissions is to focus on clean development in developing countries.

…It is technically and economically feasible to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere … provided that incentives are in place to further develop and implement a range of mitigation technologies.

Of course, the draft the Guardian is reporting from may undergo significant change by the end of the week–not so much in substance, but in the language used to present findings and recommendations.

The final wording of Friday's report will be hammered out during the coming week by scientists and government officials, who must approve it before its release. Publication of the second IPCC report in Brussels earlier this month was delayed after all-night discussions that saw several scientists walk out in protest at what they viewed as political interference.

This week's talks could see similar scenes, particularly as it deals with the political hot potato of how world governments should act together to bring down emissions.

Stay tuned for more on the IPCC's third report as the week unfolds.

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