Updated 3:00 PM ET, Tue November 24, 2020 In this December 10, 2019, file photo, former Secretary of State John Kerry attends the COP25 Climate Conference in Madrid. Washington (CNN)President-elect Joe Biden has appointed John Kerry as his special presidential envoy for climate, underscoring his commitment to tackling the global crisis and offering a symbolic rebuke to President Donald Trump's lack of leadership on the issue. Kerry, who was President Barack Obama's secretary of state, will be a Cabinet-level official in Biden's administration and will sit on the National Security Council. "This marks the first time that the NSC will include an official dedicated to climate change, reflecting the president-elect's commitment to addressing climate change as an urgent national security issue," the Biden transition team said in a statement on Monday.