Danish economist chosen as new chief of the environment at the UN | News from the world

The UN Secretary-General has selected Danish economist and environmentalist Inger Andersen as the new environmental officer, according to a letter seen by AFP, which turns the page on the scandal of spending that has rocked the UN agency.

Andersen, who heads the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) NGO, is expected to succeed Erik Solheim of Norway, who resigned in November after the outcry over his huge travel expenses .

Deputy Secretary General of the UN, Amina Mohammed, told a meeting of ambbadadors Thursday that her boss, António Guterres, had chosen Andersen.

His appointment as head of the Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) will be submitted to the General Assembly for approval.

Andersen, 60, also served as the World Bank's Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa and worked for 15 years at the United Nations on water issues. and the environment.

If this materializes as planned, Andersen will take over the reins of UNEP after Solheim's devastating mandate.

A UN audit last year revealed that Solheim had spent nearly $ 500,000 (£ 390,000) on trips over a 22-month period, while the world body struggled with reduced budgets.

His journey around the world has raised accusations that he has shown little concern for the environment and efforts to reduce carbon emissions from air travel.

The audit revealed that UNEP had a "culture of disinterestedness for internal controls and existing rules," with Solheim making too many trips to Paris and Oslo and spending little time at Nairobi headquarters.

The results have led some donors to suspend funding from UNEP.

Andersen's appointment comes as Guterres has pushed more and more women into senior positions at the UN. The UN chief is also preparing a major climate summit in September to lobby for international action to tackle global warming.