John Hay
Contact
Location: Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Information
Professor | University of South Pacific & Griffith University
Areas of expertise:
Environmental science
Climate change
Available for:
Masters & PhD research supervision | Media enquiries
“If you look at the science about what is happening on Earth, and aren’t pessimistic, you don’t understand the data. But if you meet the people who are working to restore this Earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a pulse.”
About
John is a researcher with over forty years of experience in academia, the private sector and both governmental & intergovernmental organisations, His work has focused on the application of science to minimise human impact on the environment and bringing an interdisciplinary approach to the environmental sciences. He has also been extensively involved in both technical and policy-relevant assessments and guidance, especially in relation to climate variability and change.
Notably, John has served as a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and co-authored the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate Chapter Four: Sea Level Rise and Implications for Low Lying Islands, Coasts and Communities. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for the IPCC’s “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".
Notable contributions in the Asia-Pacific region include: consultancy and advisorships to many national governments and regional and international organizations, the Asian Development Bank, the Governments of New Zealand and Australia, the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and UN Environment.
Accolades
Co-recipient, Nobel Peace Prize, 2007
Guggenheim Fellowship Recipient, 1978
Academic Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy, University of London
Professional Memberships & Affiliations
Board Member, Te Puna Vai Marama
