18 February 2010. Bonn, Germany

Yvo de Boer announced his resignation as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) after fighting almost four years for an international agreement to combat climate change. The UN Chief negotiator is known as a diplomat with good connections who was widely credited with raising the profile of climate change issues.

De Boer, who led the UNFCCC since September 2006 explained that “It was a difficult decision to make, but I believe the time is ripe for me to take on a new challenge, working on climate and sustainability with the private sector and academia.” He added that his decision to quit was not related to the failure to secure a treaty in Copenhagen, as he had already been looking for a new job before the summit.

“Copenhagen did not provide us with a clear agreement in legal terms, but the political commitment and sense of direction toward a low-emissions world are overwhelming,” he said. “We were about an inch away from a formal agreement. It was basically in our grasp, but it didn't happen... so that was a pity."

De Boer will step down from his post on 1 July 2010 but announced his departure early in order to facilitate the search for a new successor well before the Climate Change Conference in Mexico in November this year. Afterwards, he will join the consultancy group KPMG as Global Advisor on Climate and Sustainability.

For more information, please visit the UNFCCC Website.