The United Nations official who led December’s climate change deal in Paris announced her departure on Friday.
Christiana Figueres, the global body’s executive secretary on climate change, sent a letter announcing she will not seek another term as lead climate negotiator when her term expires in July.
“The Paris agreement is a historical achievement, built on years of increasing willingness to construct bridges of collaboration and solidarity,” her letter reads. “It has been an honor to support you along this path over the past six years.”
The climate change pact that was agreed to by 196 countries will be signed in New York in April.
President Obama made the deal a pillar of his second term in the Oval Office. The nonbinding U.N. climate deal places the U.S. on track to cut up to 28 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions over the next 10 years. A big part of the U.S. obligation involves implementing far-reaching greenhouse gas emissions rules for power plants that are being challenged by the states, industry groups and Republican lawmakers.
The greenhouse gas emissions the rules would cut, primarily carbon dioxide, are blamed by many scientists for changing the Earth’s climate, resulting in more severe weather, drought and sea-level rise.
