India, Feb. 15 -- RK Pachauri, former Chairman of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), who passed away on February 13, was India's pre-eminent expert on sustainable development, climate change and environment. He received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for raising awareness on the issue. During his eminent career, he also served as a member of the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change that was constituted in 2007. India's National Action Plan on Climate Change was finalised in 2008 under his advice and he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and Padma Vibhushan in 2008, the country's third and second-highest civilian awards, respectively.

Pachauri assumed responsi...