Date:05/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/05/stories/2008090560511500.htm

National

R.K. Pachauri re-elected IPCC chief

LONDON: R. K. Pachauri was on Thursday re-elected Chairman of the Nobel-prize winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for a second six-year term.

“The IPCC is happy to announce that its Chairman, Dr. Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, has been re-elected by acclamation this morning for a second term,” a release said, after his election at the 29th plenary session of the organisation in Geneva.

He was first elected Chairman in 2002 of the IPCC, established by the World Meteorological Organisation and the United Nations Environment Programme to investigate global warming and its consequences for earth.

Under his leadership, the IPCC released “Climate Change 2007,” its fourth assessment report, which was awarded the Nobel Prize last year.

The election of other bureau members will come to an end on September 4. The new team will lead the IPCC through the preparation of the Fifth Assessment report, which is expected to be released in 2014, the release said.

Dr. Pachauri is also the Director-General of The Energy and Resources Institute. He was conferred with “Padma Vibushan,” the second highest civilian award, for his services in the field of science and engineering in January 2008. — PTI