R.K. Pachauri

(1940 - ) Born in Nainital, India, Rajendra K. Pachauri was elected chief of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (http://www.ipcc.ch/) in 2002. the IPCC was stablished by WMO and UNEP to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for understanding climate change, its potential impacts, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

Pachauri also serves as the head of The Energy Research Institute (http://www.teriin.org/), a developing-country institution devoted to sustainable development.

He otained an M.S. in industrial engineering in 1972, a Ph.D. in industrial engineering, and a Ph.D. in economics from North Carolina State University.

In acknowledgement of his environmental contributions, Pachauri was awarded the Padman Bhushan in 2001 -- one of India's highest civilian awards that recognizes distinguished service to the nation.