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The Origin and Early History of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

This book presents an original and first-hand account by Dr. Narasimhan Sundararaman, the first Secretary (Executive Head) of the IPCC, from its creation in 1987 until his retirement in 2002.

The book offers an insider view of the origin and early years of the IPCC, told in the form of a lively dialogue with Prof. Suren Erkman, with the aim of making the topic accessible to a wide audience.

The authors have decided to make an electronic version (PDF) of this book freely accessible. You can also order a print version through our site.

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About the authors

Dr. Narasimhan Sundararaman was born in 1937 in the State of Tamil Nadu (South India). He studied physics and was trained as a meteorologist in India, before going to he USA to do a PhD in meteorology at the University of California at Los Angeles. He worked for several years for the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before joining the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Geneva in 1984. He played a decisive role in conceiving and paving the way for the creation of the IPCC in 1987 and became its first Secretary (Executive Head) until his retirement in 2002.

Prof. Suren Erkman was born in 1955 in Istanbul (Turkey) to an Armenian father and a Swiss mother. He studied arts (philosophy) and sciences (biology) at the University of Geneva and holds a PhD in environmental sciences. He started his career as a science and business journalist, reporting extensively on environmental issues. He has been teaching at various universities, including the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) and the University of Lausanne (UNIL), where he was Professor of Industrial Ecology until his retirement in 2020.

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A print version of the book is available and can be ordered here.

Softcover, 178 pages, format  21 x 29 cm

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  • The Origin and Early History of the IPCC (Paper Book)
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    The Origin and Early History of the IPCC (Paper Book)

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We have done our best to make this book as accurate as possible. If you wish to send us feedback or if you spot any mistakes, we would be grateful to hear from you through this contact form or by email at info@ipcc-origin.org