New Zealand on Friday appointed a new ambassador for climate change to lead its delegation at UNFCCC negotiations.

Mark Sinclair, who has been New Zealand’s ambassador to Japan since 2012, will take over the role Jo Tyndall has held since 2010, the government announced.

“Mark has a deep understanding of New Zealand’s interests and is an exceptional choice to lead the next steps of our negotiating effort,” Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett said in a statement.

“The adoption of the Paris Agreement on climate change in December 2015 was a historic achievement, but it is by no means the end of the road.”

Sinclair has no previous experience with climate change, but was New Zealand’s lead negotiator in the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations from 2008 to 2011.

Before that he was a senior official for the country in the WTO Doha Round process.

Tyndall is the latest experienced UNFCCC negotiator to step down after the Paris Agreement was agreed in December, following, amongst others, UNFCCC head Christiana Figueres and US special envoy Todd Stern.

By Stian Reklev – stian@carbon-pulse.com

Not yet signed up to CP Daily? Subscribe to our free newsletter here