WASHINGTON, June 25, 2010 - World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick today announced the appointment of Andrew Steer as Special Envoy for Climate Change, a new position created to ensure focused leadership and representation of the World Bank in the international discussions around climate change.
This appointment comes amid unprecedented demand from developing countries for World Bank support in their efforts to address development and climate change as interlinked challenges.
“The scale and scope of the World Bank Group’s support to our country clients on climate change issues has grown rapidly, as has our engagement in the international dialogue,” said Mr. Zoellick. “Given the importance of this issue, we decided we needed a high-level ‘point person’ on climate change. Andrew brings a deep knowledge of the technical, financial and political aspects of climate change to this important new role.”
Steer, a UK national, returns to the World Bank after three years as Director General, Policy and Research at the UK Department of International Development (DFID) in London. In earlier years at the World Bank he held a number of positions including Country Director for Indonesia and Vietnam and Director of the Environmental Department. He was also Staff Director of the 1992 World Development Report on Environment and Development, the Bank’s Flagship report to the Rio Summit.
In his new post, which ranks at the level of Vice President, Steer will be responsible for guiding the Bank's external work on climate change and further advancing its internal capabilities in this area. He will also oversee the Climate Investment Fund, co-chair the Strategic Climate Fund and help mobilize climate financing. To ensure close integration with the Bank's wider efforts on sustainable development, he will work within and through the Bank's Sustainable Development Network.
“It is a great honor to have been appointed to this new role” said Steer. “Climate change is a major threat to poverty reduction, and a central development challenge for our generation. I look forward to working with external partners and colleagues at the World Bank to help advance international progress on low carbon and climate resilient development, and to deepen that Bank's capacity as a cutting edge contributor.”
Steer has a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. His appointment will be effective July 1, 2010.
