Former UKERC Director, Professor Jim Skea, has been elected as the next Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The IPCC Chair is responsible for leading and coordinating the work of the IPCC, the UN scientific body that assesses climate change science, impacts, vulnerabilities and options for mitigation and adaptation.
Jim began contributing to the work of the IPCC shortly after it was established in the 1990s. He has served as a member of the IPCC Bureau since 2008 – first as Working Group III Vice-Chair, then becoming Working Group III Co-Chair in 2015. He replaces South Korean economist Hoesung Lee, who has chaired the panel since 2015.
A professor in sustainable energy at Imperial College London, Jim was UKERC’s founding director, he established the centre and then served as research director, a position he held until 2012.
In a statement Skea said he was ‘humbled and deeply honoured’ and that he will ‘address three key priorities: ensuring inclusive participation and collaboration across all regions; promoting the use of the best and most relevant science; and maximising the reach and impact of the IPCC’s work’.