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Global climate statesman Secretary John Kerry to receive prestigious Energy Institute President’s Award 2025

16/01/2025

Secretary John KerrySecretary John Kerry, former United States Senator, Secretary of State, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, and current Co-Executive Chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions, will be the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Energy Institute (EI) President’s Award, it was announced today.

The Award is the most prestigious award made by the EI’s President in the name of its global membership and will be made in recognition of Secretary Kerry’s outstanding contribution to global climate diplomacy and advocacy for an ambitious and pragmatic clean energy transition.

International Energy Week 2025 takes place at the QEII Centre in central London between 25-27 February. Secretary Kerry will receive his award and speak as guest of honour at the International Energy Awards dinner concluding the week’s events.

Energy Institute President Andy Brown OBE FEI said:

“Secretary John Kerry is a figure of great conviction and tremendous effect. As Secretary of State during the Obama administration and the first ever Special Presidential Envoy for Climate under President Biden, he has been instrumental at every key moment in the recent history of global climate diplomacy.

“From brokering the historic Paris Climate Accord in 2015 through to the agreement at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels, Secretary Kerry has been pivotal, building trust and common ground across national boundaries - not least with China to bring about action from the planet’s two largest emitters. His work to help developing nations face the challenges of climate change by mobilising climate finance has also been exemplary.

“The President’s Award is the Energy Institute’s highest accolade. We are honoured that Secretary Kerry will join us in London to share his insights at International Energy Week, as our President’s Award recipient 2025.”

Secretary Kerry said:

“I am honored to receive the Energy Institute President’s Award, but view it as shared also by the innovators, entrepreneurs, activists, engineers, and workers that collectively are driving forward the clean energy transition and creating a safer, more prosperous planet. I am more convinced than ever before that embracing modern, abundant clean energy solutions is not just the right thing to do – it’s also good business and sound economics. Those that embrace this opportunity will find themselves in the driver’s seat of the rest of the 21st century.”

A graduate of Yale and Boston College Law School, and a distinguished US Navy veteran who completed two combat tours of duty in Vietnam, Secretary Kerry served 28 years as Senator representing Massachusetts. In 2004, he was the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States, in 2013 he was sworn in as the 68th Secretary of State of the United States and, in 2021, President Biden appointed him as the first United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, a position he held until March 2024. He is now the Co-Executive Chair of climate-focused investment firm Galvanize Climate Solutions.

Secretary Kerry is the author of best-selling books, including This Moment on Earth, a book on the environment which he co-authored with his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry. Together they are proud of a blended family that includes two daughters, three sons, and three grandchildren.

The EI President’s Award is the most prestigious award made by the EI’s President in the name of its global membership, it succeeds the Cadman and Melchett Awards, dating back to 1946 and 1930 respectively, and is awarded to an outstanding individual who has contributed to addressing solutions relevant to global energy challenges, in particular combatting climate change and opening up access to energy.

International Energy Week 2025 is taking place 25-27 February, under the theme ‘Navigating the world’s energy transitions’. The conference speaker programme includes:

Notes for editors

  1. International Energy Week takes place 25-27 February 2025 at the QEII Centre in central London. Full information is at www.ieweek.co.uk
  2. For conference media accreditation and any other enquiries, contact Neil Michie on 020 7467 7132 or nmichie@energyinst.org. Please note that accreditation for the IE Week Awards Dinner is by invitation only.
  3. Secretary Kerry’s biography is at https://www.state.gov/biographies/john-kerry
  4. Previous recipients of the EI President’s Award include UAE Permanent Representative to IRENA Dr Nawal Al-Hosany HonFEI, Sustainable Energy for All CEO Damilola Ogunbiyi HonFEI and UK Special Representative on Climate Rachel Kyte CMG HonFEI. More information is at www.energyinst.org/whats-on/search/presidents-award.
  5. The Energy Institute (EI) is the chartered professional membership body for people who work across the world of energy. Our purpose is to create a better energy future for our members and society by accelerating a just global energy transition to net zero. We do this by attracting, developing and equipping the diverse future energy workforce; informing energy decision-making through convening expertise and advice; and enabling industry and consumers to make energy lower carbon, safer and more efficient. @EnergyInstitute #IEWeek