Ko Barrett

Vice-Chair
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Ko Barrett is the Senior Advisor for Climate at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Previously, she served as the NOAA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Research, supervising operations and administration of NOAA’s research enterprise. In 2015, Ko Barrett was one of the first women elected to serve as a vice-chair of the IPCC. For over 15 years, she has represented the United States on delegations charged with negotiating and adopting scientific assessments undertaken by the IPCC. She has also served for over a decade as a lead negotiator for the United States on the United Nations treaty on climate change. Ko Barrett is widely recognized as an expert on climate policy, particularly on issues related to climate impacts and strategies to help society adapt to a changing world.