The present workshop is the third of a series of interna- tional conferences carried out within the framework of a research project on behalf of the Federal Minister of the Interior. Under this project, entitled "Impacts of Air Pollution on Climate", the Federal Environmental Agency (Umweltbundesamt) has sponsored so far: an international conference on "Man's Impact on Climate" at Berlin in June 1978, an international workshop on "Energy/Climate Interactions" at MUnster in March 1980; and an international workshop on "Food/Climate Interactions" at Berlin in December 1980, the results of which are pre- sented in this book. Based on the Federal Environmental Agency's report on "Im- pacts of Air Pollution on Climate", on November 11, 1979, the Federal Cabinet approved a climate research programme of the Federal Government. Details of the programme are being vlOrked out by a committee on climate research under the chairmanship of the president of the German Weather Service with the execu- tive office placed in the Federal Environmental Agency.
This demonstrates that, by establishing a nationally co-or- dinated climate research programme, the Federal Government re- cognizes the importance of climate to the national economy. There- fore the Federal Republic of Germany intents to contribute appro- priately both to the comprehensive international programme of the United Nations on Climate and Environment, as represented by UNEP and WHO, and to the Climate Research Programme of the Commission of the European Communities.