Biden names John Kerry climate czar, in a recommitment to global cooperation

President-elect Joe Biden named John Kerry to the newly created role of climate czar, a move that underscores the incoming administration's commitment to an international-focused approach to the issue and recognition of its strategic importance. Kerry, the former secretary of state, is a diplomatic heavyweight who helped piece together the landmark Paris climate agreement during the Obama administration and pushed hard for domestic climate policies as a US senator. "I've asked him to return to government to get America back on track to address one of the most urgent national security threats we face--the climate crisis," Biden said in a statement released on Monday. "This role is the first of its kind: the first cabinet-level climate position, and the first time climate change has had a seat at the table on the National Security Council." Kerry's appointment as "special presidential envoy for climate" is among the first of six cabinet-level nominations that the Biden team announced on Monday, as it works to form a government in spite of President Donald Trump's refusal to accept the results of the election.