There are some individuals so accomplished, so on the nail with their science and insight, and so omnipresent at award ceremonies that one could be forgiven for suspecting they have secretly been busy cloning themselves to carry out so much ground-breaking work. Sir Robert Watson, an eminent scientist who is highly regarded as one of the world’s leading atmospheric chemists, fits so snugly into this category that his creaking trophy cabinet is in need of reinforcement.
Sir Watson’s plaudits include the Award for Scientific Reviewing from the National Academy of Sciences in 1992; the American Association for the Advancement of Science Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility in 1993; the insignia of Honorary Companion of St Michael and St George from the British Government in 2003; and in 2012, a knighthood for his service to the government of the United Kingdom.
Now he adds the UNEP Champion of the Earth award to his haul, and justifiably so. Sir Watson has devoted his career to promoting the science behind ozone depletion, global warming and paleoclimatology. He played an important role in the regulation efforts of ozone depletion and global warming by aiding in the process of developing unified assessments for conventions and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
He has served on the Board of Directors of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment as well as the International Scientific Assessment of Stratospheric Ozone, and has testified to the U.S. Congress on numerous occasions regarding global environmental issues. He was the Chief Scientific Officer for the U.K.’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) from 2007. Prior to taking up his post at Defra, Bob Watson was the Chief Scientist and Senior Advisor for Sustainable Development for the World Bank. He has also held senior positions at NASA and the White House, and was a chair of the IPCC from 1997 to 2002. He is now a professor at the University of East Anglia in the UK and Monash University in Australia
As his award and career history show, Sir Watson is yet another example of a committed environmentalist who will not bend, no matter how great the storm. He faced strong criticism from the energy industry and its supporters for his scientific arguments on the need for a reduced dependence on coal and oil, but his position has not wavered. His clarity of vision and sense of purpose has helped build belief in and support for climate science to the unprecedented high levels we see today.
