Al Gore and the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel committee cited "their efforts to build up and disseminate knowledge about man-made climate change".

Gore, of course, is behind the Oscar-winning documentary blockbuster 'An Inconvenient Truth' while the IPCC is the top authority on global warming.

The Nobel committee highlighted the series of scientific reports issued over the last two decades by the IPCC, which comprises more than 2,000 leading climate change scientists. The reports had "created an ever-broader informed consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming".

Al Gore was praised as "probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted", through his lectures, films and books.

Al Gore said he was honoured: "This award is even more meaningful because I have the honour of sharing it" with the IPCC, he said - "whose members have worked tirelessly and selflessly for many years".

Al Gore will donate his half of the $1.5m prize money to the Alliance for Climate Protection.

Al Gore and the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel committee cited "their efforts to build up and disseminate knowledge about man-made climate change".

Gore, of course, is behind the Oscar-winning documentary blockbuster 'An Inconvenient Truth' while the IPCC is the top authority on global warming.

The Nobel committee highlighted the series of scientific reports issued over the last two decades by the IPCC, which comprises more than 2,000 leading climate change scientists. The reports had "created an ever-broader informed consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming".

Al Gore was praised as "probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted", through his lectures, films and books.

Al Gore said he was honoured: "This award is even more meaningful because I have the honour of sharing it" with the IPCC, he said - "whose members have worked tirelessly and selflessly for many years".

Al Gore will donate his half of the $1.5m prize money to the Alliance for Climate Protection.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC)

--Established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep)

--Made up of more than 2,000 of the world's leading climate experts

--Tasked with assessing data to assess the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for mitigation

--Does not carry out any research of its own

--First Assessment Report published in 1990; its Fourth Assessment Report called Climate Change 2007 to be published mid-November