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Climate change is possibly the most highly profiled scientific issue of our time. The projected changes in temperature and rainfall are substantial, as will be the associated impacts on biodiversity, sea level, the health and agricultural sectors, and the economy. Consequently, it is not surprising that the eyes of the world are focused on the science of climate change and its predicted impacts, and the implications thereof for the nations of the world. For developing countries, generally recognised as being most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, there is much at stake as they seek to chart their low carbon development trajectory into the future and in so doing secure a share of available global funding to assist in this process. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme to inform policy decisions on mitigation and adaptation options relating to climate change. Through periodic assessment reports on climate change science and its global and regional impacts, the IPCC has established a commendable and significant reputation one that led to it being awarded a share of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. But against a backdrop of increasing politicisation of climate change impacts and in recognition of the high stakes involved, the IPCC assessment reports have come under intense scrutiny and controversies have erupted over their accuracy. They have even been accused of a perceived bias with regard to climate policy. The widely publicised controversies surrounding the IPCC Fourth Assessment report, particularly the Himalayan glacier error and the 'Climategate' events that occurred at the University of East Anglia, have raised questions about the credibility of the IPCC process. In the wake of these controversies, the InterAcademy Council (IAC), an Amsterdam-based body coordinating the world's science academies, was asked by the United Nations (UN) Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon and the IPCC chair, Rajendra Pachauri, to conduct an independent review of the IPCC's processes and procedures and to recommend ways to strengthen these. The report is available online at http://reviewipcc.interacademycouncil.net/. Having served as vice-chair of the 12-member committee which has recently submitted its report, I am able to reflect on some of the outcomes and more particularly on what this process might mean for South African science and scientists in the near future. Our review was conducted from April to August 2010 and was informed by public presentations from the IPCC and UN officials, as well as by scientists with wide-ranging views of the IPCC processes and procedures. In addition, a widely disseminated questionnaire yielded over 400 thoughtful responses from individuals across the globe. Our report concluded that the IPCC process had been a success overall it can be credited with raising public awareness about climate change and its associated impacts. It has also sustained the enthusiastic commitment of thousands of volunteer scientists not to mention buy-in of 194 participating governments over a period of more than 20 years. Through its unique partnership between scientists and governments, the IPCC has also raised the level of scientific debate and influenced the science agendas of many nations. Notwithstanding these positive comments, the IAC review committee was critical of many of the IPCC's processes and made a number of recommendations to strengthen them. Fundamental reforms were recommended to the IPCC's management structure to enable it to benefit from the governance revolution that has affected most organisations of its type over the past 20 years, and to equip it to handle the intense public and media interest in climate change that now exists. The governance reforms relate to an increasing trend towards greater accountability and transparency. Hence, our recommendations included the establishment of an executive committee to act on the panel's behalf to ensure that an ongoing decision-making capability is maintained, the establishment of an executive director post to provide authority and leadership to the secretariat in Geneva and to handle day-to-day operations in an effective manner, the development and adoption of a conflict of interest policy and the strengthening of the IPCC's communication function.