From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
Eoin Moran, Director of Ireland’s National Meteorological Service, Met Éireann, has been elected 2nd Vice-President of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), for a four-year term.
WMO Member States made the decision to elect Eoin Moran at the 19th World Meteorological Congress in Geneva today. The World Meteorological Congress is the supreme body of WMO and the Executive Council implements its decisions.
Eoin Moran has been Ireland’s Permanent Representative to WMO since 2016 when he became Director of Met Éireann, after being a member of the Irish Meteorological Service’s senior management since 2007. He is also the chair of Europe’s Meteorological Satellite Agency (EUMETSAT) Council since 2022, the chair of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Policy Advisory Committee since 2019, and a member of Ireland’s Climate Change Advisory Council since 2021.
Minister Darragh O’Brien commented:
“It is a significant honour for Ireland to hold such a senior role within the United Nations system and for the Director of Met Éireann to take up such a position. Assuming this role during this climate emergency enhances the State’s continued influence, relevance and presence on the world stage and demonstrates recognition of Ireland’s leadership in coordinating a critical scientific response to this global crisis.”
Mr Moran’s election comes at a significant time for WMO as the organisation approved the ‘Global Greenhouse Gas Watch’ initiative last week. This UN specialised agency has just made the ‘Early Warnings for All’ initiative its highest strategic priority and recently published the ‘WMO Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update’ report with clear indications on temperatures increasing globally. The WMO will also release the ‘State of the Climate in Europe 2022’ report in the coming weeks, as part of the 6th European Climate Change Adaptation (ECCA) conference in Dublin on 19th June, at which Eoin Moran will participate for the first time in his dual role as the WMO Vice-President and Director of Met Éireann.
Eoin Moran said:
“The world’s climate is at a serious juncture, and leadership from WMO is needed now more than ever before in its 150-year history. I am delighted to have been chosen for this role in WMO and honoured by this opportunity to contribute to the development of global capability where all communities, especially the most vulnerable, are resilient to the impact of extreme weather, climate, floods and drought.”
The World Meteorological Organization has a President and three Vice-Presidents who preside over Congress and the Executive Council. The Secretariat, headquartered in Geneva, is headed by the Secretary-General.
The newly elected President of the WMO, Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, said:
“I look forward to working with Eoin over the next four years in guiding the work of the organisation to address the climate crisis and to continue supporting the development and optimisation of services in the areas of weather, climate and water worldwide.”
The World Meteorological Organization is the United Nations System’s authoritative voice on Weather, Climate and Water. As a specialized agency of the United Nations, WMO is dedicated to international cooperation and coordination on the state and behaviour of the Earth’s atmosphere, its interaction with the land and oceans, the weather and climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water resources.
National Meteorological and Hydrological Services work around the clock to monitor Earth Systems and provide vital weather and climate information worldwide. Their early and reliable warnings of severe weather and fluctuations in air quality as well as of climate variability and change allow decision-makers, communities and individuals to be better prepared for weather and climate events. Their warnings help save life and property, protect resources and the environment and support socio-economic growth. WMO supports National Meteorological and Hydrological Services with this work and in meeting their international commitments in the areas of disaster risk reduction, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable development.
The World Meteorological Congress is the supreme body of WMO. The Executive Council implements its decisions, while six Regional Associations are responsible for the coordination of meteorological, hydrological and related activities within their respective Regions. Technical Commissions study and make recommendations to Congress and the Executive Council on subjects within the purpose of the Organization.
The Congress meets in regular session every four years to:
“By 2030, we see a world where all nations, especially the most vulnerable, are more resilient to the socioeconomic consequences of extreme weather, climate, water and other environmental events; and underpin their sustainable development through the best possible services, whether over land, at sea or in the air”.
Met Éireann, the National Meteorological Service, monitors, analyses and predicts Ireland's weather and climate, supporting Irish society and decision-makers with world-class weather, climate and flood services. Met Éireann does this to protect life and property, and to promote wider societal and economic wellbeing.
Met Éireann’s overarching vision is as follows: ‘Making Ireland weather and climate prepared - helping Irish society to be ready for and responsive to weather and climate challenges’.
Met Éireann is Ireland’s National Meteorological service as maintained by the State under the UN Convention of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).