Noel Healy, PhD, associate professor of geography and sustainability at Salem State University (SSU) has accepted an invitation to be a contributing author for the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. The IPCC is the main United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. The IPCC 6th Assessment Report is due to be published in 2022 and will provide countries and governments with an objective, scientific view of global climate change and its impacts.
Healy will be part of Working Group III, responsible for assessing the mitigation of climate change, and will be contributing author for Chapter 4 on ‘Mitigation and development pathways in the near-to mid-term’. Healy, will assist the lead authors in drafting sections on a just transition and the equity of climate mitigation.
Healy commented: “I am honored to be able to contribute to the world’s premier scientific body on climate change. The IPCC’s 6th Assessments IPCC report will update our knowledge on climate change, its impacts, risks, and actionable solutions. I look forward to assisting the lead authors with their work on the critical topic of a just transition and climate mitigation equity”.
When asked about the current state of the climate Healy, stated “Climate change is an existential threat to the planet. We are in the midst of a climate emergency. Global warming has exacerbated vulnerabilities and risks across the US and worldwide presenting growing challenges to health and safety of hundreds of millions of people. Climate scientists have been ringing the alarm bells for over 3 decades – unfortunately, it is now left up to civil society, to youth, and climate activists to push and force decision-makers to rapidly phase out coal, oil and gas.”
SSU has already taken a leadership role on climate change. SSU fully divested from all fossil fuels in 2018 and was the only institution from the 30 participating schools in the Multi-School Fossil Fuel Divestment Fund to divest fully from fossil fuels.
Healy added, “I'm very proud of Salem State for the leadership role they have taken on climate change. By divesting and taking a stand against the multi-decade obstructionism of the fossil fuel industry means the university now stands on the right side of history”.
Salem State's Geography and Sustainability program teaches a wide range of courses connected to the climate crisis such as GPH 100P Weather and Climate; GPH115 Global Climate Change; GPH 180 Saving the World: Social Justice in an Era of Climate Change; GPH282 Global Environmental Issues; GPH379 Environmental Justice and GPH|IDS 366 Energy and the Environment.
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Noel Healy
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