Dane Inger Andersen to become new UN environment chief

Inger Andersen of Denmark is to become the newhead of the UN Environment Programme, according to the unsuccessfulGerman candidate for the post, Jochen Flasbarth. Flasbarth, who is a secretary of state in the German environmentministry, congratulated Andersen on Twitter on Friday, adding: "TheUN will have with you a strong leader and advocate for the globalenvironment!"  The UN has not yet officially announced the appointment. Andersen has been head of the International Union for Conservation ofNature (IUCN) since 2015 and previously held various posts with theWorld Bank and the United Nations.She succeeds the Norwegian Erik Solheim, who resigned in November,after irregularities in the billing of missions had come to light.The 64-year-old justified himself by saying extensive travel wasimportant in order to make the work of the UN environmental programmemore visible.  Flasbarth, 56, is expected to remain in the German Ministry forEnvironment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, where he hasbeen a secretary of state since 2013; previously he was president ofthe Federal Environment Agency.He was also up for the post of UN environment chief in 2016, but lostout to Solheim. The UN Environment Programme is based in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.The programme coordinates the environmental activities of the UN,develops policy instruments for international environmentalprotection and advises countries.Every two years, heads of state and government, environment ministersand experts gather for a UN environmental summit in Nairobi.The next meeting is in March.