Biden chooses John Podesta as his next special envoy for climate

President Biden has tapped John Podesta, his clean energy adviser and a veteran political strategist, to succeed John Kerry as his global representative on climate, three people familiar with the decision said.

Mr. Podesta, 75, will take on that international role in addition to his current job in the White House, overseeing $370 billion in spending on clean energy projects under the landmark Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Kerry, 80, has told the White House he plans to resign by the spring, but has not given a specific date. Mr. Podesta is widely expected to take on the role of acting official, as under a recently passed law the post of special envoy would require Senate confirmation.

Mr. Podesta is a passionate veteran of the federal government's efforts to combat climate change. News of his appointment was first reported by The Washington Post.

He was White House chief of staff during President Bill Clinton's final three years, during which, partly at Mr. Podesta's urging, he became something of an environmentalist, promoting Everglades restoration and protecting large swathes of national forests from commercial activities. exploitation, saving California's redwood forests and establishing a dozen major national monuments through presidential proclamation.

During the George W. Bush administration, Mr. Podesta founded the Center for American Progress, a left-wing research organization, and then became an architect of President Barack Obama's climate change agenda.

He chaired Hillary Clinton's failed campaign for president in 2016, then informally advised Mr. Biden early in his term, pushing the White House to act more aggressively on climate change, before joining in 2022 to the government.