Sir John was Professor of Atmospheric Physics at Oxford before becoming Director General of the Met Office.
A committed Christian since his teenage years, he is a leading figure in the world of climate change/global warming, advising governments and chairing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In recognition of his work, on 10 December 07 Sir John Houghton joined Al Gore and a small UN Climate Change Team to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.