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Al Gore and IPCC win Nobel Peace Prize

News Published 12 Oct 2007 Last modified 28 Jun 2016

1 min read

Topics: Climate change mitigation

The EEA is thrilled with the decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee on awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore and the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 'This is great news for us all, climate change has topped the world news for some years now, through the IPCC's regular reports and others that alongside with Al Gore have lead a tireless climate change awareness campaign. The rapid melting of the Arctic is putting great pressure on how to proceed with a more ambitious plan after Kyoto and I look forward to seeing how countries like the United States, China and India will commit to addressing this problem!', says Professor Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the EEA.

The Nobel Committee has, in recent years, broaden its views and interpretation on peacemaking and also recognising environment alongside with human rights, democracy, elimination of poverty and sharing of resources. This was shown already in 2004 when the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Wangari Maatai for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace and the set up of the Green belt movement. When announcing the award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee praised the recipients' efforts to 'lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract (climate) change'.