Jochen Flasbarth to remain state secretary in the environment ministry

Incoming environment minister Svenja Schulze will keep Jochen Flasbarth on as state secretary, Flasbarth confirmed to the tageszeitung (taz). The 55-year old Social Democrat is “central to German environment policy”, well-connected in the EU and UN, and has been on the country’s negotiating team in international climate talks including the 2015 Paris Agreement negotiations, Bernhard Pötter writes in an article for taz. Before his time as state secretary, Flasbarth held positions including head of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), and head of the environmental group Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU).

Read the article in German here.

For background, read the CLEW interview with the state secretary COP23- 'Bonn talks will be about the heart of the Paris Agreement'.