The growing realization that anthropogenic climate change is a reality has focused the attention of the scientific community, policymakers and the general public on the rising concentration of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, and on the carbon cycle in general. Initial attempts, through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, are underway to slow the rate of increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These societal actions require a scientific understanding of the carbon cycle, and are placing increasing demands on the international science community to establish a common, mutually agreed knowledge base to support policy debate and action.

The Global Carbon Project is responding to this challenge through a shared partnership between the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme , the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change , the World Climate Research Programme and . This partnership constitutes the Earth Systems Science Partnership.
The Global Carbon Project