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Rajendra K. Pachauri

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Rajendra K. Pachauri
Born(1940-08-20)August 20, 1940
Occupation(s)Chief, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Rajendra Kumar Pachauri (born August 20, 1940, Nainital, India) is an economist and environmental scientist who has served as the chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) since 2002. Pachauri is also the director general of the Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi, an institution devoted to researching and promoting sustainable development.

To honor his contributions to the environment, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's highest civilian award, in January 2001. On December 10, 2007, Dr. Pachauri accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the IPCC, along with co-recipient Al Gore.

Education

Pachauri was educated at La Martiniere College in Lucknow. He began his career with the Diesel Locomotive Works in Varanasi, where he held several managerial positions. Pachauri joined the North Carolina State University, Raleigh, where he obtained an MS in Industrial Engineering in 1972, a PhD in Industrial Engineering and a PhD in Economics, and also served as Assistant Professor (August 1974 -- May 1975) and Visiting Faculty Member (Summer 1976 and 1977) in the Department of Economics and Business.

Biography

Pachauri has been associated with many academic and research institutes. He was on the Board of Directors of the Indian Oil Corporation (January 1999 to September 2003); Board of Directors of GAIL (India) Ltd. (April 2003 to October 2004); National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (August 2002 to August 2005); the Board of Governors, Shriram Scientific and Industrial Research Foundation (September 1987); the Executive Committee of the India International Centre, New Delhi (1985 onwards); the Governing Council of the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi (October 1987 onwards); and the Court of Governors, Administrative Staff College of India (1979-81). In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, headed by Dr. Pachauri was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize along with prominent environmental activist and Former US Vice President Al Gore.
On 14th of July 2008, he received the title UNIDO Goodwill Ambassador.

Work with the IPCC

On APril 20th, 2002, Pachauri was elected the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations panel established by the WMO and UNEP to assess information relevant for understanding climate change.

2007 Nobel Peace Prize

File:Nobel Peace Prize winners Gore & Pachauri in Grand Hotel, Norway 2-2.jpg
Pachauri and Al Gore on balcony of Grand Hotel, Oslo.
Photo: Herman Ferre

The IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who had earlier criticised Pachauri when he was first elected in 2002. In its press release, the Nobel Prize Committee said:

"...the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 is to be shared, in two equal parts, between the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Jr. 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."

On December 11, 2007, Pachauri (representing the recipient IPCC) and co-recipient Al Gore delivered their acceptance speeches at an awards ceremony in Oslo, Norway, on a day when delegates to a United Nations climate conference were meeting in Bali, Indonesia. Pachauri began by drawing attention to his conviction that the Hindu philosophy of

Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which means the whole universe is one family, must dominate global efforts to protect the global commons.

Returning to this theme throughout his speech, he pointedly reminded his audience of the words of the president of the Maldives in 1987:

"...a mean sea level rise of two meters would suffice to virtually submerge the entire country of 1,190 small islands, most of which barely rise two meters above sea level. That would be the death of a nation."

Pachauri repeatedly emphasized his concerns regarding the implications of climate change for the world's poorest nations, referring to studies that:

"...have raised the threat of dramatic population migration, conflict, and war over water and other resources, as well as a realignment of power among nations. Some also highlight the possibility of rising tensions between rich and poor nations, health problems caused particularly by water shortages and crop failures...

"One of the most significant aspects of the impacts of climate change... relates to the equity implications of changes that are occurring and are likely to occur in the future. In general, the impacts of climate change on some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities in the world could prove extremely unsettling."

Trivia

This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles. (January 2008)

Pachauri is a strict vegetarian, partly due to his beliefs as a Hindu, and partly because of the impact of meat-production on the environment.

Interviews

Pachauri is a key note speaker at the 2008 Metropolis Congress in Sydney October 2008. Pachauri will address world mayors and industry leaders on the impact of climate change on urban development in the 21st Century.

References

  1. "Dr. R.K. Pachauri". Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  2. R. K. Pachauri biography on I love India website
  3. www.kyotoplus.org
  4. Nobel Peace Prize Laureates 2007
  5. "R.K. Pachauri Biography". Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  6. Nobel Peace Prize Laureates 2007
  7. Pachauri buries Gore feud after Nobel - Reuters Oct 12, 2007
  8. "Gore Accepts Nobel Prize With Call for Bold Action", Mary Jordan, Washington Post, p. A14, December 11, 2007.
  9. ^ Transcript of Nobel Prize speech from Democracy Now! website.
  10. "UN climate panel head formed global consensus", Reuters profile, October 12, 2007

External links

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