Climate Change Is Real.....So Is NEW, page-9

The elder statesman’s appointment could lead to ructions over Australia’s climate stance, writes Matthew Knott.

The world got its first taste of what the post-Trump era will be like this week when US President-elect Joe Biden revealed his first cabinet nominees.

‘‘It’s a team that reflects the fact that America is back, ready to lead the world, not retreat from it, once again sit at the head of the table, ready to confront our adversaries and not reject our allies, ready to stand up for our values,’’ Biden said at an event in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.

Many of Biden’s choices for top foreign policy roles, such as Antony Blinken for Secretary of State, had been widely expected. One appointment caught many by surprise: Biden’s decision to name John Kerry as international climate envoy.

WHO IS HE?

At age 76, Kerry is an elder statesman of US politics. During his youth he served with distinction in the Vietnam War before returning to America, where he became a leading critic of that war. In 1985, he was elected to the Senate representing Massachusetts.

During his 28 years in the Senate, he was known as one of that chamber’s more left-wing members, with a special interest in foreign policy and environmental issues. In 2004, he won the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination but lost the election narrowly to George W. Bush. During that campaign, Republicans attacked Kerry as a ‘‘flip-flopper’’ on the Iraq War and a left-wing elitist, in part because he learnt French when studying at a Swiss boarding school.

In 2013, Barack Obama named Kerry to be his Secretary of State, succeeding Hillary Clinton in that position. As America’s chief diplomat, he played a key role negotiating the Paris Climate Accord and the US-Iran nuclear deal. When Obama left office, it was widely assumed that would be the end of Kerry’s time as a government official.

WHAT DID HE DO THIS WEEK?

When Biden unveiled his first set of nominees for senior foreign policy and national security positions this week, his most eye-catching decision was naming Kerry as special envoy for climate. This newly created position will entitle Kerry to a seat on the powerful National Security Council (NSC). The focus of the full-time role is promoting international action to tackle climate change; yet-to-benamed officials will be responsible for overseeing America’s domestic efforts to reduce emissions. ‘‘For the first time ever, the United States will have a full-time climate leader who participates in ministeriallevel meetings,’’ Biden said, explaining the significance of the new role. ‘‘For the first time ever, there will be a principal on the National Security Council who can make sure climate change is on the agenda in the Situation Room.’’ Biden and Kerry served in the Senate together for decades before working closely in the Obama administration. Kerry then campaigned for Biden during the Democratic primaries. This week Biden described Kerry as ‘‘one of my closest friends’’, saying, ‘‘there is no one I trust more’’. Both men are Catholic. At an event this week where Biden unveiled his nominees, Kerry said: ‘‘President Joe Biden will trust in God and he will also trust in science to guide our work on Earth to protect God’s creation.’’ Kerry’s appointment was applauded by leaders in the environmental movement. ‘‘I literally cannot think of one person better qualified,’’ tweeted Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Centre at Penn State University. Nat Keohane, senior vice-president and head of climate at the Environmental Defence Fund, said: ‘‘The world has been looking for a sign that the Biden administration will make climate change central to US foreign policy. Naming Kerry as Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Change and on the NSC is as clear a sign as one could want.’’

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

Under Trump, who once described climate change as a Chinese ‘‘hoax’’, America relinquished its role as a global leader on the issue. Trump pulled the US out of the Paris agreement early in his presidency and rolled back environmental regulations introduced by the Obama administration. The Trump administration made it clear it didn’t care whether other countries were cutting carbon emissions.

By appointing someone as experienced as Kerry to be his climate envoy, Biden is signalling to the world that tackling climate change will be a top priority. Kerry has the gravitas and is close enough to Biden to speak on his behalf around the world. Kerry this week made clear that the Biden administration’s ambitions will extend beyond goals outlined in the Paris agreement.