Article
59th Session of the IPCC (Nairobi, Kenya) - 26 July
On Tuesday, at the United Nations Environment Programme Headquarters in Nairobi, a new Chair was chosen for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Jim Skea from the United Kingdom has been elected as the IPCC Chair for the entire duration of the Panel's seventh assessment cycle, expected to end in 2030. With extensive experience as an IPCC expert, Skea previously held the position of Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III during the sixth assessment cycle and was instrumental in overseeing the creation and acceptance of the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C.
Photo by ENB/IISD
The position of IPCC Chair saw intense competition among four candidates. In the end, it came down to a run-off between Jim Skea and Thelma Krug, IPCC Vice-Chair from Brazil. Skea emerged victorious, securing 90 votes compared to Krug's 69.
As for the other available positions within the IPCC, the elections are still ongoing. This includes roles such as IPCC Vice-Chairs, Co-Chairs for the Working Group and Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Vice-Chairs for the Working Groups, and members of the Task Force Bureau. The process to fill these positions is currently underway.
Who is Jim Skea?
During his tenure as Co-Chair of Working Group III, Professor Skea played a significant role in co-leading the production of important Special Reports, including “Global Warming of 1.5 °C” (2018), “Climate Change and Land” (2019), and the 2022 Report on the Mitigation of Climate Change. Additionally, he contributed as a co-author to the 2023 Sixth Assessment Synthesis Report. Professor Skea has a long-standing involvement with the IPCC, dating back to its early years in the 1990s. He has been a part of the IPCC's Bureau since 2008, initially serving as the Vice-Chair of Working Group III and later becoming its Co-Chair in 2015.
Beyond his work with the IPCC, Professor Skea has actively engaged with policy processes. He was a founding member of the UK's Committee on Climate Change and has been associated with various other initiatives, including the Commission on Environmental Markets and Economic Performance. His role as President of the Energy Institute from 2015 to 2017 showcases his commitment to the field of sustainable energy.
“Climate change is an existential threat to our planet. My ambition is to lead an IPCC that is truly representative and inclusive, an IPCC looking to the future while exploiting the opportunities that we have in the present. An IPCC where everyone feels valued and heard,” said Skea in his address to the delegates attending the IPCC elections. “In this, I will pursue three priorities – improving inclusiveness and diversity, shielding scientific integrity and policy relevance of IPCC assessment reports, and making the effective use of the best available science on climate change. My actions as the Chair of the IPCC will ensure that these ambitions are realized.”
Before his election as IPCC Chair, Professor Skea held the position of Chair of Scotland's Just Transition Commission. The commission focuses on making recommendations for a fair and equitable transition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland. Professor Skea served as the Research Council's UK Energy Strategy Fellow from 2012 to 2017. During this period, he contributed to research exploring energy landscape requirements and international energy innovation systems.
Professor Skea's research interests centre around energy, climate change, and technological innovation. His interdisciplinary approach to these subjects has led him to hold various prominent positions, including Director of the Policy Studies Institute and Professorial Fellow at the Science Policy Research Unit, at Sussex University. In recognition of his contributions, Professor Skea has been awarded two high-level UK honours—an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2004 for services to sustainable transport and a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2013 for services to sustainable energy.
Read his Campaign Brochure 👇
UK IPCC Brochure - Professor Jim Skea - UK Candidate for IPCC Chair 2023 - Flipbook - Page 1
https://www.paperturn-view.com/uk/prof-jim-skea-ipcc/uk-ipcc-brochure-professor-jim-skea-uk-candidate-for-ipcc-chair-2023?pid=MzE315664&v=3
The Elections in Pictures
Photo by ENB/IISD
Photo by ENB/IISD
Photo by ENB/IISD
Photo by ENB/IISD
Photo by ENB/IISD
Delegates
Photo by ENB/IISD
Photo by ENB/IISD
Photo by ENB/IISD
Photo by ENB/IISD
Photo by ENB/IISD
Photo by ENB/IISD
Photo by ENB/IISD
Photo by ENB/IISD
Photo by ENB/IISD
Photo by ENB/IISD
Photo by ENB/IISD
Join us at the Davos Hub!
Broadcasts
Re-watch all our COP29 broadcasts
We need to stop methane and #BuyMoreTime
We'll plant a tree for you
And together we've planted over 150,000 trees. One tree is planted for every climate review written to an organization that is Open for Climate Dialogue™.
How does this work?
The Climate Action App
We plant a tree for every new user
Welcome, let's solve the climate crisis together
Write or agree to climate reviews to make businesses and world leaders act. It’s easy and it works.
•
57 w
I have faith in Jim Skea's abilities, but we missed the chance to pick a woman to lead this crucial institution. Kudos to him! https://geometry-dash.io/
•
76 w
Congratulations 👏
•
76 w
Congratulations on the appointment.
•
76 w
UK I hope he’s genuinely concerned about the globes climate Because his. Country of origin is not
•
76 w
👏👏👏
•
76 w
Please help me
•
•
76 w
Congratulations!!!
•
76 w
Congratulations
•
•
76 w
congrats to him
•
76 w
GOOD REPORT I LIKE IT
•
•
76 w
Congratulations
•
76 w
Congratulations jim skea way to go
•
•
•
76 w
Great article and well reporting. Thanks. Congratulation Jim Skea.
•
•
76 w
Lost the opportunity to elect a woman as the head of this key institution for the first time but I am sure Jim Skea is very capable! Congrats to him