John Podesta, the Democratic journeyman leading Biden's climate policy
Podesta will replace John Kerry as the country's top climate adviser
John Kerry recently announced he would step down as the U.S.' special presidential envoy for climate to help President Joe Biden with his reelection campaign. The White House has decided to replace one Democratic mainstay with another, as Biden has tapped John Podesta to replace Kerry as the nation's top climate diplomat.
While Podesta's name may not be as recognizable as Kerry's — a former secretary of state and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee — Podesta has been a longtime journeyman for the Democrats. Getting his start in various positions on Capitol Hill, Podesta worked his way up to the Clinton administration in the 1990s and has been closely involved with the Democratic Party platform ever since, including efforts to spearhead climate change initatives. What is Podesta's political history, and what will he accomplish as Biden's climate guru?
Podesta's political beginnings
John Podesta was born in Chicago in 1949 and graduated with a doctorate in law from Georgetown University Law Center in 1976. Starting in the mid-1980s, he began his foray into politics by working for a variety of Capitol Hill offices. This included a job as a high-ranking counselor to Sen. Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.), who served as both Senate minority leader and Senate majority leader during his tenure.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Podesta first arrived at the White House in 1993, where he eventually became President Bill Clinton's chief of staff in 1998. Podesta would serve in that role until Clinton left office in 2001. However, Podesta would not be done with Democratic politics, as he founded the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank dedicated to "bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action," according to its website.
He would return to the White House in 2008 as a counselor on then-President-elect Barack Obama's transition team. Podesta worked as an official counselor to Obama from 2014 to 2015. Following this, he became the chair of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, where he memorably addressed the crowd on the night of her loss to Donald Trump.
In September 2022, Biden appointed Podesta as his senior adviser for clean energy innovation and implementation. The president said in a statement that Podesta's "experience at senior levels of government [means] we can truly hit the ground running to take advantage of the massive clean energy opportunity in front of us."
Biden then appointed Podesta to succeed Kerry this January. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement that Podesta will play "a lead role in restoring U.S. domestic leadership on climate, including leading the administration's implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act."
Podesta's role as climate adviser
Sullivan's statement said that Podesta is a "key architect of turning President Biden's bold vision – that tackling the climate crisis also represents the single biggest economic opportunity of our time – into a reality here at home."
Podesta is a "passionate veteran of the federal government’s efforts to fight climate change," said The New York Times, and someone who urged President Clinton to embrace the cause during Clinton's administration. With prodding from Podesta, the Clinton White House's green initiatives included "promoting Everglades restoration, protecting vast areas of the national forests from commercial exploitation, saving redwood forests in California and establishing a dozen or so major national monuments by presidential proclamation." Podesta also continued these green initiatives when he returned to the White House with Obama, for whom, according to the Times, he was "an architect" of that administration's climate change agenda.
In his role as Biden's senior adviser for clean energy innovation and implementation, Podesta has championed similar causes and has been tasked with the rollout of the $375 billion climate law signed by Biden in 2022. Kerry's role was specifically created by Biden to help fight climate change on a global scale, and it is likely that Podesta's role as a "green diplomat" will be similar.
Podesta is expected to take on his new role this spring when Kerry departs. In a twist, he will not have Kerry's title. While Biden was able to unilaterally name Kerry as his climate envoy in 2021, a new law passed in 2022 now requires special envoys to receive Senate approval. To get around this, Podesta's official title will be senior adviser to the president for international climate policy.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
Biden visits Amazon, says climate legacy irreversible
Speed Read Nobody can reverse America's 'clean energy revolution,' said the president, despite the incoming Trump administration's promises to dismantle climate policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Pope seeks inquiry on if Gaza assault is 'genocide'
Speed Read In a book for the Jubilee 2025, Pope Francis considers whether Israel's war in Gaza meets the legal definition of 'genocide'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Can Europe pick up the slack in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Trump's election raises questions about what's next in the war
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in Russia
Speed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What does the G20 summit say about the new global order?
Today's Big Question Donald Trump's election ushers in era of 'transactional' geopolitics that threatens to undermine international consensus
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
Joe Biden's legacy: economically strong, politically disastrous
In Depth The President boosted industry and employment, but 'Bidenomics' proved ineffective to winning the elections
By The Week UK Published
-
Biden arrives in Peru for final summits
Speed Read President Joe Biden will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, visit the Amazon rainforest and attend two major international summits
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'The burden of the tariff would be regressive'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Should Sonia Sotomayor retire from the Supreme Court?
Talking Points Democrats worry about repeating the history of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?
Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Marine Le Pen's fake jobs trial
The Explainer The far-right French leader could face a fine, jail time, and a five-year ban from public office if found guilty of embezzlement
By Abby Wilson Published