IPCC Re-Elects Dr. R.K. Pachauri as its Chairman, Celebrates 20 Years of Its Existence
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - a scientific body set up by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and UNEP celebrated twenty years of its existence on the 31st of last month. At its 29th session, the IPCC re-elected by acclamation, its Chairman Dr. R.K. Pachauri to a second term. A new IPCC Bureau and Task Force Bureau were also selected in the process.
Last year had been glorious for the IPCC and for climate change research and action. Especially historical was the 10th of December, 2007 when the IPCC (and Albert Arnold Gore Jr.) were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change”.
It is thus not too surprising, that the then Chairman has been re-elected, unopposed, for a second term by the IPCC.
The IPCC was first established twenty years ago, to provide decision-makers and others interested in climate change with an objective source of information about climate change. It neither carries out research nor monitors real time data. The role of IPCC is to assess on a comprehensive, objective, open and transparent basis, the latest scientific, technical and socio-economic literature produced worldwide, relevant to the understanding of the risk of human-induced climate change.
In the climate constrained world of today, such a body is thus needed to play the global role that IPCC has set out to play. The fact that climate change is an issue without borders needs no verification. The fact that the impacts are real and are being faced in the present day do not require any further elaboration either.
It is but for governments to accept and act. And to ensure the same, IPCC’s objective and neutral reports are pivotaland critical towards making any national action plan for any country. Because of its intergovermental nature, the IPCC is able to provide scientific, technical and socio-economic information in a policy-relevant, policy-neutral way to decision makers in different governments.
For Dr. R.K. Pachauri - a climatologist from India under whose chairmanship the IPCC received the Nobel Peace Prize, the joy would be even greater. Back home, he has also been conferred the Padma Vibhushan - India’s second highest civilian award by the Government of India, in recognition of his remarkable work in the field of environment science and research.
Dr. R.K. Pachauri is also the Director-General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), a dynamic and flexible organization based in New Delhi, India that pioneers in researching and acting on climate change issues.
Image Source: IPCC under Media Use
