Top U.S. climate diplomat to step down

Todd Stern, the U.S special envoy for climate change, will leave his position April 1, the State Department said Monday. Jonathan Pershing, currently at the Department of Energy as principal deputy director of the Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis, will replace him.

Stern’s departure comes just a few months after his most significant accomplishment, the climate change accord reached in Paris in December. The deal saw 196 countries from around the world come together to make pledges to act on climate change, the first such agreement.

Secretary of State John Kerry hailed Stern’s work over the last seven years.

“I have felt fortunate from day one to have Todd on my team, and we have all benefited from his mastery of the climate challenge and all of its nuances, his diligence and his negotiating skills,” Kerry said. “He played an enormous role in achieving so many of our climate milestones, and the tireless work by Todd and his team over many years will benefit future generations in every corner of the globe.”

During Stern’s time in the State Department, he has pushed climate change as a major part of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. has come to climate understandings with China, India, Brazil and Canada, among many others, during his time as the country’s top climate diplomat.

Many scientists blame the burning of fossil fuels and the subsequent release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere for climate change and the warming of the globe.

Stern has been involved in climate change work for nearly 20 years. During President Bill Clinton’s tenure, he spent two years working on the administration’s climate change initiatives and was the senior White House negotiator at the Kyoto and Buenos Aires conferences.

Following that stint, he worked in the Treasury Department from 1999 to 2001 as an adviser before working at a private law firm. He also spent time as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress focusing on climate and environmental issues.