WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement after President-elect Biden appointed former Secretary of State John Kerry to serve as a Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and to serve as part of the National Security Council (NSC).


“It is going to take a concerted international effort to confront and overcome the global climate crisis. But before we even get there, it’s going to take perseverance, political expertise and diplomacy to convince other countries to join the fight to save our planet. No one understands what it’s going to take better than John Kerry.

“As our nation’s former Secretary of State, John Kerry knows firsthand how to unite the international community to confront the climate crisis. After all, he worked tirelessly to bring the Paris Agreement to the finish line. And when it was time to ratify the historic accord, Secretary Kerry brought his young granddaughter with him to sign the agreement on behalf of the United States. He reminded the world that climate action is about leaving behind a healthy, habitable planet for future generations.


“As my former colleague in the Senate, he is also acutely aware of the political process. He will bring to this role both his diplomatic and political expertise. And, after devoting the last several years to his organization focused on climate change, John Kerry knows better than anyone how to ensure this crisis receives the international attention it so desperately needs.

“One call after another, world leaders continue to raise the issue of climate change in their congratulatory calls to the president-elect. President-elect Biden understands that the world is watching, and he knows that time is wasting. With the first-ever National Security Council seat dedicated to climate change, Secretary Kerry’s historic appointment is a message to be heard around the world. The United States of America will lead the world on climate change once again.”

 

###