Veteran civil servant and climate diplomat Vijai Sharma died in the United States on July 23 after suffering a stroke at the age of 75. Family sources said Sharma lived in Lucknow and was visiting his son in the US, The Indian Express reported.
A 1974-batch IAS officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre, Sharma was instrumental in determining India’s position in international climate talks for more than 15 years. He led India’s negotiating team during the UN process that resulted in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol while serving as joint secretary in the Environment Ministry from 1995 to 2001.
Sharma also played a key role in securing the successful conduct of the Conference of the Parties (COP-8) in New Delhi in 2002 as part of India’s larger climate governance diplomacy.
In 2008, Sharma rejoined the Environment Ministry as its Secretary after serving in the Cabinet Secretariat and other positions. During his tenure as Environment Secretary from 2008 to 2010, Sharma led India’s delegation to the 2008 Copenhagen Climate Conference, which was attended by more than 100 heads of state.
Besides his work with the government, Sharma was a Chief Information Commissioner and an expert with the National Green Tribunal, which helped shape green policy.
He was one of the candidates in 2010 to lead the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). He began serving as an Expert Member of the National Green Tribunal in New Delhi on May 6, 2011, and he left on March 1, 2012, per the National Green Tribunal official website.
Sharma earned a postgraduate law degree from Harvard University, was a history enthusiast, and even co-authored a few books on India’s forts with his wife, fellow IAS officer Ritu Sharma. However, he remained in high demand for his expertise in climate and environmental law and policy.
Former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh called him ‘the quintessential civil servant,’ offering precise execution and fearless advice with an irreverent humour. Sharma even liked to be called ‘Sir Humphrey Sharma,’ a playful nod to the classic bureaucrat from the British television series ‘Yes Minister.’
According to former IAS officer and chief negotiator on climate, RR Rashmi, Sharma showed an acute attention to detail in his role as administrator.
He used to proudly remember how he had to work through the night as “G77 and China coordinator in the climate negotiations to shape the rules of the carbon market under the Kyoto Protocol.”
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
First Published: Jul 28, 2025 10:57 AM IST
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