The New Zealand Herald’s New Zealander of the Year finalists were limited to the under-30s this year but the newspaper did pay tribute some older Kiwi’s making a difference, including NIWA’s Dr David Wratt.
An excerpt from the New Zealand Herald’s write up (read in full here):
Dr David Wratt says having resources is vital.
Dr David Wratt may be New Zealand’s greatest contribution to international climate science, but he doesn’t see himself as out to change the world.
Like all good scientists, Dr Wratt is simply keen to ensure policymakers have the information available to make best possible decisions.
Before the UN Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report was released in September – the largest and most authoritative document on climate change to date – Dr Wratt had been toiling in the background for years, serving as vice-chairman of one of the IPCC’s key working groups.
Alongside his heavy duties as Niwa’s chief climate scientist – a role that has forced him to deal with challenges by sceptics – Dr Wratt has been heavily involved in the panel and its previous reports, assuming the job of co-ordinating lead author for Australia and New Zealand on the third assessment report.