The new Chairman of the IPCC is Hoesung Lee

Hoesung Lee was elected by 78 votes to 56 in a run-off with Jean-Pascal van Ypersele. A total of six candidates had been nominated for the position.

“I am honoured and grateful that the Panel has elected me as the IPCC’s new Chair,” said Hoesung Lee.

“The IPCC remains deeply committed to providing policymakers with the highest quality scientific assessment of climate change, but we can do more.”

“The next phase of our work will see us increase our understanding of regional impacts, especially in developing countries, and improve the way we communicate our findings to the public. Above all, we need to provide more information about the options that exist for preventing and adapting to climate change. I look forward to working with my IPCC colleagues to reach these goals and I thank them for their support.”

Paul Shrivastava, Executive Director of Future Earth said

“We welcome the appointment of Professor Hoesung Lee. Hoesung Lee’s leadership comes at a crucial moment for the IPCC and international policy on climate change as we move beyond questions of attribution and towards solutions for rapid decarbonization of the global economy. Interdisciplinary research will be central to this agenda and Future Earth will fully support IPCC by providing policy relevant science in support of the IPCC sixth assessment under the guidance of Hoesung Lee.”

The election took place in Dubrovnik, Croatia, where the IPCC is holding its 42nd Session. Elections for other positions on the IPCC Bureau, including the Co-Chairs of the IPCC Working Groups, will take place over 6-8 October.

Hoesung Lee is a professor in economics of climate change, energy and sustainable development at Korea University’s Graduate School of Energy and Environment in the Republic of Korea. He is one of the current Vice-Chairs of the IPCC. He serves on various boards including as executive member of the Korean Academy of Environmental Sciences; a member of the Asia Development Bank President’s advisory board, a council member of the Global Green Growth Institute and an editorial board member of UK based Climate Policy. Hoesung Lee (69) has published extensively in the field of energy and climate change. He was the founding president of the Korea Energy Economic Institute and the former president of the International Association for Energy Economics. He has been involved in the IPCC in various capacities including as Working Group III Co-Chair since its Second Assessment Report of 1992. Lee obtained a Bachelor’s degree in economics at Seoul National University in 1969 and got his PhD in economics at Rutgers University in the United States of America (USA) in 1975.

Hoesung Lee's full CV: http://ipcc.ch/nominations/cv/cv_hoesung_lee.pdf