
In a significant move to reinforce the United States' commitment to combatting climate change on the global stage, White House senior adviser John Podesta will assume the role of the top U.S. official on international climate issues, replacing special climate envoy John Kerry. The announcement was made by the White House on Wednesday.
John Kerry, who has been serving as the special climate envoy since President Joe Biden took office in 2021, had earlier conveyed his decision to step down from the climate job to focus on President Biden's reelection campaign. Podesta will take over Kerry's responsibilities, although he will not assume the exact title of climate envoy until Kerry officially departs, which is expected to be this spring.