18 February 2010: Yvo de Boer has announced that he will resign his position as UNFCCC Executive Secretary as of 1 July 2010.The announcement indicated that, following his departure, he will be joining the consultancy group KPMG as Global Adviser on Climate and Sustainability, as well as working with a number of universities.
De Boer, who was appointed Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Secretariat in September 2006, recognized that it was a difficult decision, but that the time was ripe for him to “take on a new challenge” by working on climate and sustainability with the private sector and academia. He underscored that “while governments provide the necessary policy framework, the real solutions must come from business.” He noted that, although Copenhagen did not result in a clear legal agreement, there is an overwhelming sense of direction toward a low-emissions world, which requires new partnerships with the business sector. “I now have the chance to help make this happen,” he added. [UNFCCC Press Release]