Statement on President-Elect Biden Naming Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Jake Sullivan to Key Administration Roles

Washington, D.C. — Today, Lori Lodes, executive director of Climate Power 2020, issued the following statement on President-elect Joe Biden’s decision to nominate Linda Thomas-Greenfield as United States Ambassador to the United Nations and naming Jake Sullivan as National Security Advisor:

“Thomas-Greenfield’s nomination shows President-elect Biden’s commitment to serious, science-based international leadership. As the world faces a tipping point in the global climate crisis, America’s ability to lead will be more crucial than ever before,” said Lori Lodes, executive director of Climate Power 2020. “Thomas-Greenfield recognizes the extraordinary impact of climate change and the crucial role the United States plays in finding a solution to this crisis.”

“Having worked alongside Jake, I know firsthand how his brilliance is only matched by his kindness, integrity, and humility,” said Lodes. “Jake’s appointment is a strong signal from the Biden administration that it is putting the climate crisis at the forefront of its national security policy. Jake understands that addressing the climate crisis is central to our country’s national security and economy. Naming Jake to a key national security role underscores Biden’s commitment to a government-wide approach to addressing the climate crisis.”

Thomas-Greenfield has been vocal about the negative impacts of climate change around the world, particularly in Africa, where extreme weather is damaging local agriculture and the continent’s economy. She has spoken out on the need for U.S. climate leadership, calling climate change one of the most pressing global challenges of the day.

From 2013 to 2017, she served as the assistant secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, where she led the bureau focused on the development and management of U.S. policy toward sub-Saharan Africa.

Sullivan has been a vocal advocate of climate change’s effects on national security. He has also publicly called for the United States to rejoin the Paris Agreement and for a Biden administration to bring the country to the “next level” of leadership by pursuing an ambitious climate change strategy.