Panmao Zhai is a Chinese climatologist, Secretary General of the Chinese Meteorological Society, and one of six co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) working groups.

Zhai received his bachelors degree in Climatology from Nanjing University in 1984, and a masters degree in Physical climatology, also from Nanjing University, in 1990. Zhai is a professor at the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences. He was previously Director-General of Department of Forecasting and Networking in China Meteorological Administration and the Vice President of Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences. He is now the Secretary General of the Chinese Meteorological Society. Zhao was a contributing author to the IPCC fourth assessment, and Lead Author of working group I for the IPCC fifth assessment (2008-2015). He was elected as co-chair of the IPCC working group 1 for the sixth assessment.

In 2022, Zhai was recognized alongside Valerie Masson-Delmotte by TIME as one of the 100 Most Influential people that year for their contributions in climatology.

Science, Environment, Sustainability, Environmental Policy, Climate Change, Climate Issues, Energy, Green, China, Earth Science, Meteorology