John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation, speaks during a press conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Sarah Silbiger | Bloomberg | Getty Images
White House senior adviser John Podesta will replace John Kerry as climate change envoy, a person familiar with the appointment said Wednesday.
Kerry announced earlier this month that he would step down from his top climate job to work on President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign. If Kelly leaves, Podesta will start, according to the source. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about details of the appointment, which have not been made public, and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The appointment was first reported by the Washington Post.
Podesta, a behind-the-scenes veteran of previous Democratic administrations on climate change, was brought back to the White House last year to introduce an ambitious U.S. climate change program that was renewed and resuscitated by Congress with $375 billion. It was. He also led the administration’s climate change task force.
The position he will fill was created by the Biden administration to represent the administration on the world stage, specifically to fight climate change. Kelly has been in the position since 2020.