Sir Crispin Tickell
| 
| "It was through study of history that I first became aware of the impacts of climate change on civilization. It came as a shock to realize how rapid such change had been, and could be in the future. This led to my book on Climatic Change and World Affairs in 1977, and my role since then as an advisor to successive British Prime Ministers. The problems have now greatly increased, and the world is better aware of them. We are now struggling to mitigate the effects and adapt ourselves to them. Hence the Copenhagen Climate Council." |
Director, Policy Foresight Programme at Oxford University
Sir Crispin Tickell is currently the Director of the Policy Foresight Programme at the James Martin Institute for Science and Civilization at Oxford University, a position he has held since 2006. He is also Advisor at Large to the President of Arizona State University, since 2004, and Governor of the Ditchley Foundation, since 1991. He is associated with many British and American universities. His main interests are in the field of the environment and international affairs. His personal interests include, climatology, the early history of the earth, art (especially pre Colombian and African), and mountains.
Sir Crispin Tickell was born in 1930. He spent most of his career in the British Diplomatic Service. Sir Crispin served as the Chef de Cabinet to the President of the European Commission from 1977 to 1981. He then became the British Ambassador to Mexico from 1981-1983. Subsequently he served as the Deputy Under-Secretary of State (Economic) in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 1983-84, and then as Permanent Secretary in the Overseas Development Administration (ODA) from 1984-1987. From 1987 to 1990 Sir Crispin was the British Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Permanent Representative on the UN Security Council.
On leaving the Diplomatic Service Sir Crispin became Warden of Green College, Oxford. He has since worked with many national and international scientific, academic and corporate organizations. Sir Crispin is the author of Climate Change and World Affairs (1977, reprinted in 1986), a small volume that appeared one year after he had been a visiting Fellow at the Center for International Affairs at Harvard University (1975-76). Written thirty years before the current debate on greenhouse gases, this was one of the first studies to highlight the importance of climate issues in the realm of international relations.
In addition, he has contributed to many books on climate change and environmental issues. He takes a particular interest in China, and was a founder member of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development. In 2004, the Chinese Government bestowed upon him their Friendship Award. In 2006, following his work on a Government Task Force on Potentially Hazardous Near Earth Objects, the IAU Planets Center in Boston USA named a minor planet (No.5971) after him.
He continues to give regular interviews on environmental, governance and related issues on TV and radio.
