US President Barack Obama's climate change czar Todd Stern, who played a key role in the Paris summit last year, is set to step down from his post, it was announced today.
Dr Jonathan Pershing would replace Stern as US Special Envoy for Climate Change on April 1, Secretary of State John Kerry said.
"For seven years, Todd Stern has helped lead US efforts to address one of the greatest challenges facing the world today, culminating in the historic global climate agreement reached at COP 21 in Paris last year," he said in a statement.
Kerry said climate has been a top priority of his for decades and establishing it as a top foreign policy priority has been a focus of his time as Secretary of State.
Stern, he said, played an enormous role in achieving so many of climate milestones and the tireless work by him and his team over many years will benefit future generations in every corner of the globe.
"The global community took a critical step forward in Paris, but it's also true that, in many ways, the work to address climate change is just beginning," Kerry said.
"Whether we are able to build on the momentum we've seen in recent months and years -- by encouraging clean energy investment and innovation, pursuing more sustainable development in cities and communities around the world, protecting threatened ecosystems and more -- will determine whether we're able to bend the curve of carbon emissions and address one of the most complex challenges humankind has ever faced," Kerry said.
Stern's successor Pershing is atrained scientist who has worked in government, in the private sector, and in the non- profit world.
He has spent the past three years helping run the policy shop at the Department of Energy and serving as the senior climate advisor to Energy Secretary Ernie Moniz.
Previously, he was also part of the Nobel prize-winning International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which has literally helped write the book on climate change and what can be done about it.
"Jonathan's new role is a homecoming of sorts for him, as it follows his previous service at the State Department as Todd Stern's deputy and his key role on the State climate negotiating team during the 1990s," Kerry said.
