John Edward Hay

John has over forty years experience in academia, the private sector and governmental organisations. His work has focused on bringing an interdisciplinary approach to the environmental sciences as well as to technical and policy-relevant assessments and guidance, especially in relation to climate variability and change.
John is a firm believer in Paul Hawken’s assertion, "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."
As a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), John was a recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded jointly to the IPCC and Al Gore. John is currently involved in preparation of an IPCC Special Report - The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. He is Lead Author for Chapter Four - Sea Level Rise and Implications for Low Lying Islands, Coasts and Communities.
In 2007 John co-authored the book Tourism and Climate Change: Risks and Opportunities. The sequel, Climate Change and Tourism: From Policy to Practice, was published in June, 2012.
John is also a recipient of a prestigious fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation. He is Visiting Professor at Ibaraki University, Japan, and an Adjunct Professor at Auckland University and at the University of the South Pacific, a regional university. He works as a consultant and advisor to many national governments and regional and international organizations, including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Governments of New Zealand and Australia, the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and several United Nations agencies such as UN Environment.