John Kerry, former U.S. senator and secretary of state, is set to leave his role as President Joe Biden’s special climate envoy. Kerry, 80, will transition to supporting Biden’s re-election campaign, as confirmed by two administration sources on Saturday.
Kerry’s departure, scheduled for later this winter, follows his significant contribution to an international agreement for transitioning away from fossil fuels, announced in Dubai. He informed his staff of his decision this Saturday, after discussing with President Biden on Wednesday, as per sources who requested anonymity.
Having played a key role in the 2015 Paris climate agreement under former President Barack Obama, Kerry’s tenure as a climate advocate has been marked by his commitment to combating climate change. Kerry, who lost the 2004 presidential election to George W. Bush, was a Democratic senator from Massachusetts before his roles in the Obama administration.
His plans were first reported by Axios. As Biden’s special envoy, Kerry did not require U.S. Senate confirmation and held a seat on the National Security Council, emphasizing the importance of climate issues in national security.
Kerry’s focus as the special envoy included maintaining diplomatic relations with China on climate matters, amidst other political and trade tensions. He and his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, were central to the agreement of nearly 200 countries on the Paris agreement and UAE Consensus.
China recently appointed Liu Zhenmin, a former vice foreign minister, as its new climate change envoy, succeeding Xie Zhenhua who stepped down for health reasons. Kerry, in a December interview, expressed his ongoing commitment to climate advocacy, regardless of his official role.