Article 1
The German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), founded in 1992, has been charged with evaluating environmental changes and their impacts and making proposals on coping with them in their respective ecological, social and economic contexts. The WBGU is thus to assist both the responsible authorities and the general public in making well-informed and sound judgements. 
Article 2
(1) Every two years, the Council will submit a report to the Federal Government by the first of October giving, on the basis of the latest research results, indications on how to avoid or correct maldevelopments. The report will be published by the Council.

(2) While preparing the reports the Council will allow for the Federal Government to give an opinion on central questions arising from this task.

(3) The Federal Government may ask the Council to prepare special reports and opinions on specified topics. 
Article 3
(1) The Council consists of up to nine members with special knowledge and experience regarding to the task of the Council.

(2) The members of the Council will be jointly appointed by the two ministries in charge, that is the Federal Ministry for Education and Research and the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, in agreement with other ministries concerned for a period of four years. Reappointment is possible.

(3) Members can at any time hand in a written announcement of resignation from the Council.

(4) If a member resigns before the end of his or her term of office, a new member will be appointed for the retired member's term of office. 
Article 4
(1) The Council is only subject to the fulfillment of its task as established by this decree and otherwise independent in its activity.

(2) Members of the Council must neither belong to the Government or a legal corporation of the Federal Republic or of a Land nor to the public service of the Federal Republic, of a Land or of any other juristic person of the Public Law other than as university professor or as staff member of a scientific institute. Neither must they be representatives of an economic association or an employers' or employees' organization or be attached to these by the per-manent execution of services and business in their favour. They must not have held any such position during the last year prior to their appointment as a member of the Council. 
Article 5
(1) The Council elects from among its members in secret election a chairman and a vice-chairman for a period of four years. Re-election is possible.

(2) The Council will set up its own rules of procedure. These must be approved of by both ministries in charge.

(3) If there is a differing minority with regard to individual topics of the report then this minority opinion can be expressed in the report. 
Article 6
In the execution of its work the Council will be supported by a Secretariat. 
Article 7
Members of the Council as well as the staff of the Secretariat are bound to secrecy with regard to meetings and conference papers considered confidential by the Council. This obligation to secrecy is also valid with regard to information given to the Council and considered confidential. 
Article 8
(1) Members of the Council will receive an all-inclusive compensation as well as a reimbursement of their travel expenses. The amount of the compensation will be fixed by the two ministries in charge in agreement with the Federal Ministry of Finance.

(2) The costs of the Council and its Secreteriat will be shared equally by the two ministries in charge. 

Edelgard Bulmahn 
Minister for Research and Technology 
Jürgen Trittin 
Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety 
October 25, 2000

Article 1
In order to periodically assess global environmental change and its consequences and to help all institutions responsible for environmental policy as well as the public to form an opinion on these issues an advisory council on "Global Environmental Change" will be established with the Federal Government. 
Article 2 
(1) The Council will annually submit a report to the Federal Government by the first of June giving an updated de-scription of the state of global environmental change and its consequences, specifying quality, size and range of possible changes and giving an analysis of the latest results of research. In addition, the report should contain in-dications on how to avoid or correct maldevelopments. The report will be published by the Council. 
(2) While preparing the reports the Council will allow for the Federal Government to give an opinion on central que-stions arising from this task. 
(3) The Federal Government may ask the Council to prepare special reports and opinions on specified topics. 
Article 3 
(1) The Council consists of up to twelve members with special knowledge and experience regarding to the task of the Council. 
(2) The members of the Council will be jointly appointed by the two ministries in charge, that is the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Reactor Safety, in agreement with the departments concerned for a period of four years. Reappointment is possible. 
(3) Members can at any time hand in a written announcement of resignation from the Council. 
(4) If a member resigns before the end of his or her term of office, a new member will be appointed for the retired member's term of office. 
Article 4 
(1) The Council is only subject to the fulfillment of its task as established by this decree and otherwise independent in its activity. 
(2) Members of the Council must neither belong to the Government or a legal corporation of the Federal Republic or of a Land nor to the public service of the Federal Republic, of a Land or of any other juristic person of the Public Law other than as university professor or as staff member of a scientific institute. Neither must they be representatives of an economic association or an employers' or employees' organization or be attached to these by the per-manent execution of services and business in their favour. They must not have held any such position during the last year prior to their appointment as a member of the Council. 
Article 5 
(1) The Council elects from among its members in secret election a chairman and a vice-chairman for a period of four years. Re-election is possible. 
(2) The Council will set up its own rules of procedure. These must be approved of by both ministries in charge. 
(3) If there is a differing minority with regard to individual topics of the report then this minority opinion can be ex-pressed in the report. Article 6 In the execution of its work the Council will be supported by a Secretariat which will, for the time being, be located at the Alfred-Wegener-Institut (AWI) in Bremerhaven. 
Article 7 
Members of the Council as well as the staff of the Secretariat are bound to secrecy with regard to meetings and conference papers considered confidential by the Council. This obligation to secrecy is also valid with regard to information given to the Council and considered confidential. 
Article 8 
(1) Members of the Council will receive an all-inclusive compensation as well as a reimbursement of their travel expenses. The amount of the compensation will be fixed by the two ministries in charge in agreement with the Federal Ministry of Finance. 
(2) The costs of the Council and its Secreteriat will be shared equally by the two ministries in charge. Dr. Heinz Riesenhuber Minister for Research and Technology Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety 
May 1992 
Appendix to the Council mandate 
In explanation of the task of the Council under Article 2, par. 1 
Zu den Aufgaben des Beirats gehören: 
1. The task of the Council includes: Summarizing and continuous reporting on current and acute problems in the field of global environmental change and its consequences, e.g. with regard to climate change, ozone depletion, tropical forests and sensible terrestric eco-systems, aquatic eco-systems and the cryosphere, biological diversity, socioeconomic consequences of global envi-ronmental change; Natural and anthropogenic causes (industrialization, agriculture, overpopulation, urbanization, etc.) should be con-sidered, and special attention should be given to possible feedback effects (in order to avoid undesired reactions to measures taken). 
2. Observation and evaluation of national and international research activities in the field of global environmental chan-ge (with special regard to monitoring programmes, the use and management of data, etc.). 
3. Identification of deficiencies in research and coordination. 
4. Suggestions on how to avoid and correct maldevelopments.
In its reporting the Council should also consider ethical aspects of global environmental change.