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- The UN Secretary-General on Friday named Mike Bloomberg as his special envoy for climate change.
- Bloomberg would press governments and companies for emission-cutting pledges, the UN said.
- Bloomberg was first given a UN special envoy position on climate change in 2014.
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The United Nations has reappointed former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as a special envoy for climate change ahead of the UN climate summit in Scotland later this year.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday in a statement confirmed Bloomberg as his “special envoy for climate ambition and solutions.” Bloomberg was first appointed UN special envoy on cities and climate change in 2014 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Bloomberg would work with governments, companies, cities, and financial institutions to ensure they pledge to cut emissions and commit to net-zero before 2050, Guterres said.
He would also work with countries and industries that have very high emissions and help them transition to quickly phase out coal and move to clean energy, in line with the Paris Agreement, Guterres said.
Bloomberg will be global ambassador for the campaigns “Race to Zero” and “Race to Resilience,” which rally businesses, cities, and investors to mobilize climate action.
In a tweet on Friday, Bloomberg said he was honored to serve as the UN's special envoy, adding " climate change is a global challenge, and I'm looking forward to continuing to accelerate progress."
Bloomberg, a billionaire philanthropist, dropped out of the race for the 2020 Democratic nominee in the US presidential nominations in early March.
He spent more than $1 billion of his own money on his presidential campaign.