The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Jr. have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for their 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."
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2007
The Nobel Committee decided that the Prize is to be shared, in two equal parts, between the IPCC and Al Gore. The Committee is thereby 'seeking to contribute to a sharper focus on the processes and decisions that appear to be necessary to protect the worlds future climate, and thereby to reduce the threat to the security of mankind.'
Through its scientific reports, "the IPCC has created an ever-broader informed consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming. Thousands of scientists and officials from over one hundred countries have collaborated to achieve greater certainty as to the scale of the warming." "Al Gore has for a long time been one of the world's leading environmentalist politicians. (...) He is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted."
Al Gore: "The earth has a rising fever and it will not heal by itself."
The winners of the Nobel Peace Prize see a link between the risk of accelerating climate change and the risk of violent conflict and wars. The Nobel Committee also sees interrelations between nature and environment, war and conflict and said environmental problems certainly affect human security: "The chief threats may be direct violence, but deaths may also have less direct sources in starvation, disease, or natural disasters." "Global warming not only has negative consequences for human security, but can also fuel violence and conflict within and between states."
The Chairman of IPCC in his Nobel Lecture also emphasised the link between peace, security and the secure access to resources that are essential for living. "Climate change will have several implications, as numerous adverse impacts are expected for some populations in terms of: acces to clean water, access to sufficient food, stable health conditions, ecosystem resources, security of settlements."
In his Nobel Lecture Al Gore warned for the threat of the climate crisis "it is a threat that is real, rising, imminent and universal." "The earth has a rising fever and it will not heal by itself. Something basic is wrong. We are what is wrong, and we must make it right."
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