(CNN) -- Think of it as a giant barometer for climate science. With a new groundbreaking study on climate change seemingly coming out every other week, it can be hard to keep up with the latest findings. Fortunately, every five to six years, the United Nations sums it up in a comprehensive report. That's what's going on this week in the Swedish capital Stockholm, where the latest Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is set for release on Friday. The document will bring together the latest research from top scientists around the field. The IPCC is recognized as the leading authority on the subject of global climate change. The first section of its new report -- the fifth since the organization was formed in 1988 by the United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization -- contains a "Summary for Policymakers," aimed at guiding politicians and lawmakers worldwide on decisions regarding the environment over the next several years.
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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report every five or six years
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The first section of the report is aimed at assisting policymakers
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A draft that leaked in August said there is more certainty that humans are playing a role
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The report will lay out projections for climate change through the end of the century
But climate change activists, and many climate scientists, believe that the @placeholder's consensus-seeking policy produces conclusions and estimates that are too conservative.