Esteemed Climate Reference Group member named NZer of the Year!

Huge congratulations to Queenstown’s Dr Jim Salinger CRSNZ for being named Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year 2024!

Jim, who has dedicated almost 50 years to advancing climate science, is recognised as one of the first to address global warming issues in New Zealand, and was a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

In 2019 he was also awarded the Jubilee Medal from the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science for lifetime achievements in climate and agricultural science.

Jim is a highly valued member of our Climate Reference Group that provides independent guidance to Council on its response to the climate and ecological emergencies. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge to ensure a climate-resilient future for rangatahi.

We feel very lucky to have Jim’s contribution and wisdom as we tackle the climate and biodiversity crises. He understands that community resilience is not just about responding to disasters, but also about building sustainable communities that can thrive in the face of the climate crisis, and sees his role on the CRG as an important contribution towards that goal.