(NEW YORK – Nov. 23, 2020) President-elect Joe Biden has tapped former Secretary of State John Kerry as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change with a position on the National Security Council, according to the Office of the President Elect.
“Secretary Kerry is one of the world’s most effective climate champions, both in the U.S. and abroad. As Secretary of State in 2015, he helped negotiate the Paris Agreement on climate change, making him the ideal person to restore U.S. global climate leadership now – while also ensuring that climate is integrated into all aspects of national security and foreign policy. The creation of this new role and selection of Kerry for it is an important sign that President-elect Joe Biden is making climate change central to U.S. foreign policy.
“With the increasing devastation of climate impacts around the world, and the opportunities for expanding U.S. climate ambition and encouraging others to do the same in the lead-up to next year’s climate talks in Glasgow, Secretary Kerry is well-positioned to get the U.S. acting aggressively on climate change once again. As he well knows, we have no time to lose.
“We congratulate Secretary Kerry and look forward to working with him.”
- Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund
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