Exclusive-Biden taps former EPA chief for White House climate coordinator role -sources

[December 16, 2020]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President-elect Joe Biden will name Gina McCarthy, former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Obama administration to a new role leading domestic climate policy coordination at the White House, two sources familiar with the process said on Tuesday.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy speaks during a news conference, accompanied by U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, in Washington U.S., January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

McCarthy will lead inter-agency efforts to coordinate domestic climate change policy and serve as a counterpart to John Kerry, who Biden appointed as his special envoy on climate change.

McCarthy is currently the president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a national environmental group. As EPA administrator to Obama she crafted some of the Obama administration's signature climate policies, including the Clean Power Plan to slash emissions from power plants.

She is expected to play a key role carrying out the incoming Biden administration's planned actions to tackle climate change and address environmental justice.

Biden has called for a net zero emission target for power plants by 2035, as well as an aggressive push to shift to electric vehicles and expand the production of renewable energy.

Biden is also expected to name Jennifer Granholm as his energy secretary, Pete Buttigieg as his transportation secretary and New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as interior secretary.

(Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw, Valerie Volcovici and David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese and Aurora Ellis)

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