John Kerry Resigns from Role as US Climate Envoy
US climate envoy John Kerry will relinquish his position this spring, according to a trusted source Kerry's decision to step down marks a significant development in the realm of climate diplomacy
The source close to John Kerry confirmed to CNN that the US climate envoy plans to resign from his position by the spring. After leading US climate diplomacy for three years under the Biden administration, Kerry will still be attending the World Economic Forum in January and is expected to also attend the Munich Security Conference in February.
At 80 years old, the former secretary of state and Democratic presidential nominee played a leading role in US negotiations at three international climate summits, including the most recent one in Dubai.
One of Kerry's main priorities was to kickstart international climate discussions between the US and China. He played a pivotal role in brokering the November Sunnylands agreement, a comprehensive climate deal between the two countries ahead of COP28.
Axios was the first to report that Kerry was resigning and plans to join the Biden campaign. CNN has contacted the Biden campaign and the White House for their input.
Kerry has a history of working on climate issues prior to joining the Biden administration. During his time as secretary of state, he played a crucial role in negotiating the Paris agreement, which was adopted by almost 200 nations in 2015 and aimed to address the adverse effects of climate change.
In 2019, Kerry helped launch World War Zero, a bipartisan effort uniting world leaders and celebrities to address the climate crisis. Prior to this, he served alongside Joe Biden in the Senate for many years, beginning with his first election in 1984 to represent Massachusetts after serving as lieutenant governor under Gov. Michael Dukakis.
Kerry won the Democratic nomination for president in 2004 but lost to incumbent President George W. Bush in the general election. In 2009, he took over as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden became vice president. Barack Obama nominated him to serve as secretary of state in 2012. Kerry also served in the Navy in Vietnam as a gunboat officer on the Mekong Delta and received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts.
