Thomas B. Johansson studied at the Lund Institute of Technology, Sweden, where he obtained a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics in 1974. He was appointed Professor of Energy Systems Analysis in 1986. From 1994 till 2001 he was Director of the Energy and Atmosphere Programme in UNDP, where he initiated the use of energy as an instrument for socio-economic development in UNDP work on development cooperation, and developed and launched the World Energy Assessment. In 2001, he became Director of the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE), Lund University, Sweden. In 2006 he became UNESCO Chair holder. He is Co-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Global Energy Assessment, Co-Chair of the Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development (GNESD), Chairman of the International Energy Initiative, member of the International Advisory Board, Wuppertal Institute, member of the Scientific Advisory Council of IIASSA. He was a member of the InterAcademyCouncil’s Panel on Transitions to Sustainable Energy, 2005 ? 2007, and member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), 2004 ? 2006. He received the Volvo Environment Prize in 2000.