Labour appoints Rachel Kyte to climate envoy role axed by Sunak

Rachel Kyte in 2015. One climate expert commented on her appointment: ‘Rachel is a giant and a ball of fire, with a vast hinterland of knowledge and experience and a global network of friends and allies. She will be brilliant.’ Photograph: Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

A former climate chief of the World Bank has been appointed to lead the UK’s efforts to forge a global coalition on climate action, the Guardian can reveal.

Rachel Kyte, who previously served as special representative for the UN and a vice-president of the World Bank, will take up the role of climate envoy to lead the UK’s return to the front ranks of global climate diplomacy.