The Globalization Reader, 5th Edition

69 Speech of the IPCC Chairman, Rajendra K. Pachauri, at the opening session of the World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland

Rajendra K. Pachauri

Distinguished Ladies & Gentlemen!

It is a unique privilege for me to speak before this august gathering at [a] time when the world needs to identify and address some formidable new challenges that face us. The year 2007 saw an unprecedented increase in awareness related to global warming and climate change. This explosion of knowledge and awareness resulted from a number of factors, not the least of which is the release of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The Norwegian Nobel Committee highlighted the threat of climate change to global peace by awarding the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize to the Panel and Mr. Al Gore. But today we also know on the basis of our reports that climate change, if unmitigated, can have serious implications for the economic well-being of human society. It would be convenient to submerge this reality under the financial problems the world is facing this week, but we would indeed be doing so at the peril of ignoring the world's most pressing problems.

The IPCC carries out comprehensive assessments of all aspects of climate change on an inclusive, transparent and objective basis. It accomplishes this by harnessing the best talent from round the globe, following a process of rigorous peer reviews and final acceptance of all reports by governments through a process ...