A South Korean professor of climate change economics will lead the Nobel Prize-winning group of climate scientists who keep track of global warming.

 

Hoesung Lee, elected chairman Tuesday of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, told The Associated Press that the United Nations-affiliated science group will do more to examine the effects of man-made global warming on more local levels, "especially in developing countries."

 

Lee, who had been one of the panel's vice chairmen, was elected in a meeting in Dubrovnik, Croatia, beating Jean-Pascale van Ypersele of Belgium, another vice chairman, in a run-off. Chris Field of the United States was one of three other candidates. Each country is allowed one vote for climate panel leader.

 

Lee is president of the government affiliated Korea Energy Economics Institute and past dean of the College of Environment at Keimyung University. In his campaign for the job, Lee pledged to work more closely with business and industry and pay special attention to job creation, health, poverty reduction and technology development.

 

The previous chairman, Rajendra Pachauri, resigned in February after charges of sexual harassment were leveled against him in his native India.

 

 

PHOTO: This photo provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows Hoesung Lee. Lee, a South Korean professor of climate change economics will lead the Nobel Prize winning group of climate scientists that keeps track of global warming. The United Nations affiliated Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change announced Tuesday it had elected Lee, one of its vice chairmen, to its top post.

CREDIT: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change via AP.