Indian-Origin Scientist Wins Crafoord Prize 2026

Global recognition for climate science

Indian-Origin Scientist Wins Crafoord Prize 2026: Indian-origin climate scientist Veerabhadran Ramanathan has won the Crafoord Prize for 2026. The award is often described as the Nobel equivalent for fields not covered by the Nobel Prizes. It recognises his lifelong contribution to reshaping the scientific understanding of climate change.

The selection committee highlighted how his discoveries changed both climate science and global environmental policy. His work established that global warming is driven by a combination of gases, not carbon dioxide alone.

Scientific journey and academic foundation

Ramanathan was born and educated in southern India and began his academic journey in engineering. He later pursued advanced studies in atmospheric science in the United States.

Over a career spanning nearly five decades, he worked at leading research institutions. His approach combined physics, chemistry, and climate modelling to explain Earth’s energy balance.

Static GK fact: Atmospheric science studies the physical and chemical processes governing Earth’s atmosphere, including radiation balance and climate dynamics.

Discovery of powerful greenhouse gases

In the 1970s, while working at NASA Langley Research Center, Ramanathan made a groundbreaking discovery. He identified that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) trap heat far more efficiently than carbon dioxide.

His 1975 research paper demonstrated that a single CFC molecule has thousands of times the warming potential of CO₂. This finding transformed climate research by proving that industrial trace gases could significantly alter global temperatures.

Static GK fact: Global Warming Potential (GWP) is a metric used to compare the heat-trapping ability of different greenhouse gases over a fixed time period.

Trace gases and accelerated warming

Ramanathan’s later studies expanded beyond CFCs to gases like methane and nitrous oxide. In the mid-1980s, his research warned that these gases could accelerate warming faster than expected.

These insights directly influenced international climate negotiations. They strengthened scientific backing for the Montreal Protocol, which phased out CFC production worldwide.

The treaty is widely regarded as the most successful environmental agreement in history. It prevented significant additional warming while also protecting the ozone layer.

Static GK Tip: The Montreal Protocol was adopted in 1987 and entered into force in 1989, with universal global ratification.

Ethics, policy and global leadership

Beyond research, Ramanathan has consistently linked climate science with ethics. He has advised governments and global institutions on climate responsibility.

He served on the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, advising multiple popes on climate ethics. His work highlights how climate change disproportionately impacts poorer populations.

Ramanathan stresses that systemic policy action matters more than individual lifestyle changes. This perspective strengthened the moral dimension of global climate debates.

Significance of the Crafoord Prize

The Crafoord Prize is administered by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences along with the Crafoord Foundation. It honours scientific fields excluded from the Nobel Prizes, including geosciences.

Winning the prize places Ramanathan among the world’s most influential scientists. It also reinforces India’s contribution to global scientific leadership.

Static GK fact: The Crafoord Prize follows a rotational cycle and is awarded to a maximum of three laureates in a year.

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Indian-Origin Scientist Wins Crafoord Prize 2026: