John Podesta‘s political influence within the Biden administration is poised to expand as he reportedly prepares to replace John Kerry as Biden’s special climate envoy.
Podesta, who has been a senior adviser to Biden for clean energy innovation and implementation since September 2022, will take over responsibility for Kerry’s portfolio once the former secretary of state, senator, and Democratic presidential nominee is redeployed to Biden’s reelection campaign in the spring, as reported by the Washington Post.
Podesta’s new title is expected to be senior adviser to the president for international climate policy.
The White House confirmed the move to the Washington Examiner, with chief of staff Jeff Zients saying in a statement that the administration needed “to keep meeting the gravity of this moment, and there is no one better than John Podesta to make sure we do.”
“Having served the three most recent Democratic presidents over three decades, he is an American statesman, a fierce champion for bold climate action, and a leader who without a doubt the world will know has the trust and speaks for the president of the United States,” Zients said.
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Podesta, who is anticipated to remain at the White House instead of relocating to the State Department, currently manages the implementation of Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act climate provisions.
The former president of the think tank Center for American Progress was previously involved in negotiating the 2015 Paris Agreement during the Obama administration and was similarly instrumental in shaping former President Bill Clinton’s environmental platform. He went on to be chairman of Hillary Clinton‘s 2016 presidential bid.
