was born in Nainital, India, on 20 August 1940. He assumed his current responsibilities as the head of TERI (Tata Energy Research Institute) in 1981, first as Director and, since April 2001, as Director-General. TERI does original work and provides professional support in the areas of energy, environment, forestry, biotechnology, and the conservation of natural resources to government departments, institutions, and corporate organizations worldwide. Dr Pachauri has been elected as Chairman of IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), established by World Meteorological Organization and United Nations Environment Programme in 1988. He has taken charge as Chairman, IPCC from 20th April 2002 onwards. He has been active in several international forums dealing with the subject of climate change and its policy dimensions.
To acknowledge his immense contribution to the field of environment, he has been awarded the Padma Bhushan — one of India’s highest civilian awards that recognizes distinguished service of a high order to the nation in any field (January 2001).
Recognizing his vast knowledge and experience in the energy — environment field, the United Nations Development Programme appointed him as a part time Adviser in the fields of Energy and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources, 1994 — 1999.
His wide-ranging expertise has resulted in his being invited to join various international and national committees and boards
Rajendra Pachauri: “Surveys show people are anxious about their personal carbon footprints and cutting back on car journeys and so on; but they may not realize that changing what’s on their plate could have an even bigger effect.”
Ernst von Weizsaecker, an environmental scientist who co-chaired the panel, said: “Rising affluence is triggering a shift in diets towards meat and dairy products – livestock now consumes much of the world’s crops and by inference a great deal of freshwater, fertilisers and pesticides.” Previously, he served as the policy director at the United Nations Centre for Science and Technology for Development.
Angela Cropper, Deputy Executive Director of UNEP
“We are at the stage where this issue, which has long been talked about in the corridors and in the backrooms but never frontally as an important item in public policy, has now come to the fore, has now come to the fore, is now very much on the tables of governments and the United Nations.”
Janez Potocnik – European Environment Commissioner (M): “Certainly, the thoughts of limiting the meat consumption should be taken seriously.”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
“Experts say that eating less meat will also minimize our impact on the environment and help reduce Green House Gas emissions. The message is clear. Climate change is about our health and the health about our planet. We are all in this together.” UN Secretary video conference directed to government officials from both London, U.K and Washington D.C, USA
Elke Stehfest, Lex Bouwman, Detlef P. Vuuren, Michel G. J. Elzen, Bas Eickhout, Pavel Kabat (2009). Climate benefits of changing diet Climatic Change ~excerpt “Nevertheless, the benefits of dietary change to both health and climate mitigation and the feasibility of low stabilization targets as shown here are important enough to put this issue on the political agenda.”
Achim Steiner, UN under-secretary general & Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, said “Production of livestock, in particular meat products, is an enormously intense one in terms of consumption of resources. Therefore, the panel is saying that, yes, let us change our lifestyles. Reducing meat consumption is part of the solution in a world with soon 9 billion people.”
“Both emissions and land use depend strongly on diets. Animal products, both meat and dairy, in general require more resources and cause higher emissions than plant-based alternatives.”
Robert Godland & Jeff Anhang co-authors of“Livestock and Climate Change”
World Watch Institute reported that livestock and their byproducts actually account for at least 32.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, or 51 percent of annual worldwide GHG emissions!
Henning Steinfeld Senior U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization official reported that the meat industry is “one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems.” Head of the livestock sector analysis and policy branch at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN.
Edgar Hertwich Professor, the lead author of the report, said: “Animal products cause more damage than [producing] construction minerals such as sand or cement, plastics or metals. Biomass and crops for animals are as damaging as [burning] fossil fuels.”
