Jeff Skoll at 2009 Skoll World Forum

Jeff Skoll speaks at the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship ceremony in 2009. He introduces Dr. R.K. Pachuari, or “Patchi,” including a fun story about how they met and then speaking more seriously about the Nobel Peace Prize he won for his work on climate change.

With: Jeff Skoll
Thank you all very much. And Sally, you always do a such a wonderful job in everyone here in this forum really loves you. And I need to take a chance. And thank you for everything you do. And how great is KT Tunstall , thank you so much for coming. People often asked me what is my favorite part of forum is and it's hard to answer because there are so many great things, seeing the new students at the Said school and hearing the great speakers and really meeting up with old friends and reconnecting.

But for me this night always stands out because its really our chance to honor and celebrate some of the most inspirational and innovative people in the the world. And we also get the chance to entice some interesting helpers to present the awards and be part of the ceremony. And this year is no exception.

I'll never forget when I met Dr. Rajendra Pachauri or Pachy, as he prefers to be called... I was visiting India in the summer of 2007 with Larry Brilliant, our Skoll Foundation board director and good friend... and we were visiting villages in India where Larry's been helping to wipe out the most virulent form of polio.

Along the way, we decided to stay at an ashram where Larry had lived many year before in the Himalayan foothills, and Larry called his good friend Pachy to come from Delhi and spend some time with us. This was middle of monsoon season and the roads are getting up to the ashram insane with boulders falling across the road, and the road was washing out and could barely see more than a few feet in front of the car and I turned to Larry. I said Larry when do you know it's time to stop? He said, "Well, when the car ahead of your rolls off the road and down the hill." And I said, "Well, what if that's our car?" and Larry said, "Well, then it's time to stop." So, needless to say Pachy was delayed, we stayed up late into the night and no Pachy we finally went to bed, and that didn't stop him.

Pachy finally arrived around three in the morning and, being the gentleman that he is, he slept in his car in the pouring rain so he didn't have to wake up anybody at the ashram. So, in the morning when daylight broke I finally met a tired and, no doubt, sore Pachy who then led us on an incredible and unforgettable day visiting his environmental work in the region. And three months later he shares the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change and the award to Al Gore and the inter-Governmental Panel on climate change, was a huge boost for all of us who are so concerned about climate, and the attention the award generated really influenced the debate around the world. As the head of the IPCC since 2002, Pachy has played a key role in coalescing international expertise and political commitment around the climate.

Climate change is one of the most complex issues we face. The economists are staggering, politics are daunting and the implications profound. And working in this arena requires a deeply analytical mind can an incredible amount of learning. And with so many different individuals and organizations and the regions effective by climate it also requires a tremendous amount of diplomacy. And Pachy is an exceptional ambassador in this regard. His ability to assess competing interest, identify priorities, and forge a consensus is one of the best hopes we have as a world to come together on this important issue. Please welcome Doctor <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Rajendra Pachauri</span>
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