After facing growing criticism following revelations that his predictions of Himalayan glacier melt was off by around 300 years, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri insists the science behind the global warming is valid.

Speaking ahead of the largest climate change conference since Copenhagen summit late last year, Dr. Pachauri said the mistake did not detract from the underlying message of climate change.

In a BBC Radio4 programme he said “There is one mistake that occurred unfortunately and we have clearly accepted that, we have accepted regret that it took place but there is a huge volume of science over there, the IPCC forth volume assessment report is a massive piece of work and I think all of what we have said over there is totally valid.”

He added: “The fact is that we have clearly shown that the impacts are going to become progressively serious. And it is not merely a warming of the earth’s system, it is also a disruption in terms of extreme events and there are some leaders in the world who have actually realised that.

They are actually saying that the best way to get out of the current economic recession is to invest in green jobs.”

Dr Pachauri also denied allegations of a conflict of interest between his position as the head of the IPCC and his role with the Teri research organisation in India.

He said any money he earned from advising companies around the world went back to Teri, which among other things, aims to provide solar power to people without access to electricity.