Hoesung Lee

Hoesung Lee (; born December 31, 1945) is a South Korean economist who served as the chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) from 2015 to 2023. He is professor in the economics of climate change, energy and sustainable development in the Graduate School of Energy, Environment, Policy & Technology at Korea University.

Early life and education Lee was born in Yesan County on December 31, 1945. One of his elder brothers is politician Lee Hoi-chang, a former Prime Minister of South Korea and a three-time presidential candidate.

Career Lee began his career as an economist working for ExxonMobil. In 1986, he became the first head of the , and beginning in 1988 led the Korean Resource Economics Association. Lee succeeded former chair Rajendra K. Pachauri, who had resigned in February 2015. The landmark Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C (SR15) was released at the meeting on October 8, 2018. The highlight of his term as chair, he said in an interview, was personally witnessing numerous world leaders declare their goal of net-zero emissions by mid-century, based on the IPCC reports.

Personal life and recognition Lee has two children. In 2015, The Guardian reported that he has a reputation as a "private, quiet person who listens and gives everyone a chance to speak during meetings".