John Zillman


John William Zillman AO is an Australian meteorologist, and former President of the World Meteorological Organization and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. He was born and was educated in Brisbane, Queensland. Through his leadership in professional organizations and advisory groups, Zillman has contributed to shaping science and innovation policy in Australia. More widely, he has contributed to raising awareness to the consequences of global climate change through involvement in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Career

Zillman holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland; a Master of Science from the University of Melbourne; and a Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
He was Director of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology from 1978 to 2003 and Chairman of the Commonwealth Heads of Marine Agencies from 1994 to 2003. From 1978 to 2004 he was Permanent Representative of Australia with the World Meteorological Organization. Zillman served as a member of the WMO Executive Council from 1979 to 2004, as First Vice President from 1987 to 1995 and then as President from 1995 to 2003.
He was elected as a Fellow of ATSE in 1980 and served as Honorary Secretary from 1990 to 1994, Vice President from 1995 to 1998, and President from 2003 to 2006. He was President of the National Academies Forum 2005-06 and President of the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences in 2005. He was also awarded the prestigious International Meteorological Organization Prize from the World Meteorological Organization in 2005. In 2011 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the UK's Royal Meteorological Society in recognition of his contribution to meteorology.
Zillman was also a member of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council, as part of the Office of the Chief Scientist.

Climate Change

While Zillman has contributed to the IPCC, unlike others on the IPCC, he has made public comments that indicate his respect for the IPCC process and has defended it from attack:
Of current climate change he goes on to say:
He has said of the IPCC Second Assessment Report: