For the benefit of Earth and its people

On Feb. 9, Germany announced the appointment of its first international climate envoy. This move reflects the country’s commitment to putting the climate crisis at the top of its foreign policy agenda.

This new position, created by the German government that took power in December, mirrors the US special presidential envoy for climate, a role that President Joe Biden announced in November 2020. This new cabinet position, also referred to colloquially as “climate czar,” is currently held by John Kerry, who was secretary of state under President Barack Obama. The position has authority over climate and energy policies. As part of his role, Kerry also serves in the US National Security Council (NSC). It’s the first time the NSC has an official dedicated to addressing the climate crisis as a matter of national security.

It is a very positive move that leading nations such as the US and Germany are creating these high-profile roles to address the global climate crisis and bolster their commitment to the Paris agreement, the international treaty on climate change. It bodes well for climate negotiations over the next few years, a time when reducing emissions of greenhouse gases will be more crucial than ever for the future of humanity and the planet.

What is unusual about Germany’s new position of climate envoy is that the first person to hold the role, Jennifer Morgan, is American. The German government—similar to neighbors such as the UK, France, and Spain—does not typically name foreign nationals to top positions. Morgan is not yet a German citizen, although she has resided in the country for almost 2 decades.

After Morgan’s appointment, an aspect that came under scrutiny was her background in activism. Since 2016, she has been the executive director of Greenpeace International. She brings decades of experience, knowledge, and relationships to the table. But I wonder how her past might affect her credibility and her ability to deliver swift changes, when some parties don’t yet embrace the urgency of the climate movement.

Puzzlingly, one additional change that the new German government has made is that international climate policy will now report to the foreign ministry and not the environmental ministry, as it did in the past. Domestic climate policy will be housed within a newly created ministry.

Separately, an interesting trend that I have observed in the area of climate and the environment is the increasing number of donations from billionaires and philanthropic organizations to causes relating to nature, biodiversity, and the climate crisis.

One example is the Protecting Our Planet Challenge, a $5 billion pledge by a group of nine philanthropic organizations. The investment, announced in September, is the largest private investment of its kind. The challenge aims to “ensure 30 percent of the planet is protected and preserved in the most important places for biodiversity by 2030,” according to a news release. The challenge hopes to support initiatives that help protect the million species of animals and plants at risk of extinction.

Another example is 1t.org, an initiative launched by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff with the goal of “conserving, restoring and growing 1 trillion trees by 2030.”

A different, more localized approach is that of Anders Holch Povlsen, a Danish billionaire who made his fortune in the clothing industry, and his wife, Anne Holch Povlsen. The Povlsens are the largest individual private landowners in the UK. The couple has been consistently purchasing land across the country, in the Scottish Highlands in particular, with the goal of “rewilding” —encouraging native woodland and species to regenerate and flourish—the area.

This growth in environmental philanthropy is welcome, and so is the appointment of a climate envoy by the German government. Every little bit counts, especially when it is done with the benefit of Earth and its people in mind.

Views expressed on this page are those of the author and not necessarily those of ACS.