Climate Change is the defining issue of the 21st Century. The 2014, Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underscores that if the global mean temperatures warm by more than 2° Celsius, risks to ecosystems and livelihoods will surpass tolerable levels.

Dr. Trenberth’s research on the link between extreme weather and climate change, as well as his observations on possible options for adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change, are helping to shape international negotiations and government policy.

Dr. Trenberth is a distinguished senior scientist in the Climate Analysis Section at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. A New Zealander, he has been prominent in most of the United Nations’ IPCC scientific assessments of Climate Change. He has also served the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) in numerous ways, most recently as Chair of the WCRPGlobal Energy and Water Exchanges Project.