Message from The Minister on The Election of Dr Adelle Thomas to the IPCC

On behalf of the Foreign Ministry, I am pleased to announce that Dr Adelle Thomas, The Bahamas’ Candidate for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), was successfully elected to Working Group II of the Panel.

The elections were held at its 59th Session, in Nairobi, Kenya, on 28 July 2023.

The IPCC is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. The IPCC provides regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

Dr Thomas, a Senior Scientist in Climate Analytics and a Senior Fellow at the Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Research Centre of the University of The Bahamas, is well-known among climatologists and technical experts in the Caribbean Community and other small island developing states. Dr Thomas’ experience in the work of the IPCC is extensive, including lead author and contributor to several IPCC publications as well as having served on various bodies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

This achievement of Dr Thomas being elected is another step towards the government’s Climate Change mandate to ensure a long and prosperous Bahamas for future generations of Bahamians.

The Prime Minister and I are committed to ensuring that That Bahamas doesn’t only have a seat at the table but we are heard. This week’s weather conditions prove climate change must be at the forefront of discussions.

We trust that Dr Thomas is more than qualified and can represent The Bahamas with distinction.

On behalf of the Government and people of The Bahamas, I congratulate her and all of the foreign service officers that worked to ensure a successful election.