Simon Stiell speaks at a news conference during the pre-COP26 climate meeting in Milan, Italy, on October 2, 2021. File photo credit Reuters/Guglielmo Mangiapane.
WASHINGTON, DC--The climate resilience minister for the Caribbean island nation of Grenada has been tapped to become the next United Nations climate chief, according to three sources familiar with the selection.
Simon Stiell, who had served as Grenada’s Minister for Climate Resilience and the Environment until this year, will replace Patricia Espinosa, who finished her second three-year term as executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in July.
The appointment was first reported by Climate Home News.
The UNFCCC declined to comment at this time.
Stiell has been a visible figure at UN climate negotiations, often calling for the world’s largest polluters to set more ambitious climate goals and to deliver finance promised to vulnerable countries, including small island nations. That funding is key to preparing for future climate impacts, including extreme temperatures, rising sea levels, more frequent storms and drought.
Stiell would take the helm of the UNFCCC a few months before Egypt hosts the next UN climate conference, COP27, the three diplomatic sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorised to announce the news.
COP27 will take place after a year of global economic uncertainty and geopolitical issues have led countries to backslide on their climate pledges.
With the summit being held on the African continent, diplomats from climate-vulnerable countries plan to push for a focus on loss and damage, which would force historical emitters in North America and Europe to compensate developing countries for economic losses and damage resulting from climate-related weather extremes.
Stiell told Reuters in an interview last year that the G20 group of the world’s most powerful countries “generate 80% of global emissions and constitute 85% of global [gross domestic product – Ed.] GDP. They have the wealth and technology to act.” ~ Reuters ~
