Three events occurred in 1988 that assisted greatly in bringing the issue of man-made climate change to the notice of politicians:
A World Ministerial Conference on Climate Change in June hosted by the government of Canada.
A speech in September by Margaret Thatcher where she mentioned the science of anthropogenic climate change and the importance of action to combat climate change.
The first meeting of the IPCC in Geneva in November 1988. Delegates from many countries agreed to set up an international assessment of the science of climate change, together with its likely impacts and the policy options.