John Kerry Bows Out as U.S. Climate Envoy

John Kerry Bows Out as U.S. Climate Envoy - The New York Times

John Kerry Bows Out as U.S. Climate Envoy

Mr. Kerry, 80, is expected to work on President Biden’s re-election campaign to stress the climate achievements of the administration.

John Kerry, President Biden’s special envoy for climate, plans to step down from the Biden administration by spring, according to two people familiar with his plans.

Mr. Kerry, 80, has served as the president’s top diplomat on climate change since early 2021, working to cajole governments around the world to aggressively cut their planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

He led the U.S. negotiating team through three United Nations climate summits, reasserting American leadership after the country withdrew from the Paris climate agreement during the Trump administration.

Mr. Kerry championed cooperation on global warming between the United States and China, the world’s two largest polluters, during times of tension.

On Wednesday, Mr. Kerry met with Mr. Biden in the White House to inform the president of his intention to resign, according to one person familiar with the meeting. On Saturday, his staff learned of his decision at a hastily arranged meeting, said the person, who asked to remain anonymous in order to discuss personnel matters.

Mr. Kerry told staff that he intended to depart in the coming months, and he is widely expected to get involved in the 2024 presidential campaign to help raise awareness of Mr. Biden’s work on climate change. No successor has yet been tapped.

In the meantime Mr. Kerry is planning to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week.

The White House did not respond on Saturday to a request for comment.

Mr. Kerry’s plans were first reported by Axios.

A former Massachusetts senator, Democratic presidential nominee and secretary of state under President Barack Obama, Mr. Kerry brought a celebrity status to the global climate summits.

Lisa Friedman is a Times reporter who writes about how governments are addressing climate change and the effects of those policies on communities. More about Lisa Friedman