Hoesung Lee of South Korea has been named the new head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Prof Lee, an expert on climate economics and sustainable development, was elected to chair the panel at its ongoing meeting in Dubrovnik, Croatia. He is the fourth person to lead the IPCC in its 27-year history. He succeeds Rajendra Pachauri, who resigned amid a scandal (sexual harassment) in February.

There were five other nominees in the one-country, one-vote election. In a final run-off ballot, Prof Lee defeated Jean-Pascal van Ypersele from Belgium, 78 votes to 56. Mr. Ban also reaffirmed his support for the crucial role played by the IPCC in supplying decision-makers and the public with the world’s most authoritative scientific understanding of climate change, including its impacts as well as solutions.

IPCC

• IPCC is a scientific intergovernmental body under the auspices of the United Nations.
• It was first established in 1988 by two United Nations organizations, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• In December 2007, the IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.