Biden to name John Podesta as climate envoy to replace John Kerry, White House confirms

President Joe Biden plans to name John Podesta, a longtime Democratic strategist and advisor on clean energy, to succeed John Kerry as the U.S. climate envoy, the White House confirmed to the Washington Post.

Kerry plans to leave the administration later this year to join Biden's 2024 reelection campaign. He has served as the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate since 2021 and is the inaugural officeholder.

Podesta, for his part, has long worked with Democratic administrations and was notably the chairman of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. Speaking to the Post, he praised Kerry's tenure in the position and vowed to carry on his work.

"Secretary Kerry has put the U.S. back in leadership on climate around the world... And we’ll ensure that we keep up the momentum that has been built up through his efforts," he said.

Kerry's tenure saw him make numerous foreign trips to discuss climate policy with foreign leaders, though Podesta has indicated he will continue to pursue climate policies within the United States as well.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.