The Nobel Peace Prize 2007 goes to the former USA Vice-President Albert (Al) Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for ”their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change”.

As it is said in the official Norwegian Nobel Committee press-release, “Al Gore has for a long time been one of the world's leading environmentalist politicians. His strong commitment, reflected in political activity, lectures, films and books, has strengthened the struggle against climate change. He is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted”. Al Gore contributed greatly to elaboration of the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. His “An Inconvenient Truth” movie on climate change challenge has not only attracted great attention worldwide, but also won the “Oscar” prize as the best documentary in 2007.

Concerning IPCC the Norwegian Nobel Committee underlines the role of the Group in forming “an ever-broader informed consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming”. The IPCC was founded under the auspices of the WMO and UNEP and incorporates thousands of scientists and officials from over one hundred countries. The main function of the IPCC is to provide an assessment of the best available scientific, technical and economic knowledge on climate change. In 2007 the IPCC introduces its Fourth Assessment Report containing the up-to-date data on this issue.

By awarding the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 to the IPCC and Al Gore, the Norwegian Nobel Committee is seeking to contribute to a sharper focus on the processes and decisions that appear to be necessary to protect the world’s future climate, and thereby to reduce the threat to the security of mankind. Action is necessary now, before climate change moves beyond man’s control.