White House: Podesta to replace Kerry as top U.S. climate diplomat

White House senior adviser John Podesta will replace John Kerry as the U.S. climate change envoy. Kerry, a former senator and secretary of state, recently announced his departure. Podesta, aged 75, has served Democratic U.S. presidents, including as White House chief of staff to Bill Clinton and adviser to Barack Obama. Podesta currently oversees the implementation of the Biden administration’s climate bill. He steps into the role after the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, where a global deal for transitioning away from fossil fuels was reached. Podesta’s experience includes brokering the first U.S.-China bilateral agreement on climate change in 2014. He will assume the role of senior advisor for international climate policy, continuing work on the Inflation Reduction Act. The position does not require Senate confirmation. Podesta aims to maintain the momentum built by Kerry and lead efforts to address climate challenges, especially regarding oil and gas expansion.

Source – CGTN