UNITED NATIONS (XINHUA) - United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday (Feb 5) announced the reappointment of Mr Michael Bloomberg of the United States as his special envoy on climate ambition and solutions to mobilise climate action in the lead up to the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, in November.

Mr Bloomberg, a former mayor of New York City, will support the work of the secretary-general in growing and strengthening the coalition of governments, companies, cities and financial institutions committed to net-zero carbon emissions before 2050 in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change, said Mr Guterres' press office.

Mr Bloomberg will also engage government officials and members of the private sector and civil society to finalise and implement plans, particularly in high-emitting countries, industries and sectors, to vastly accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy.

He will leverage his deep experience and track record in accelerating the transition from coal to help deliver on the secretary-general's global call for the phase-out of coal in industrialised countries by 2030, and all other countries by 2040, underpinned by a just transition for affected communities and workers.

As special envoy, he will work to stress the secretary-general's call to ensure that all measures to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic are aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Mr Bloomberg, an environmentalist and philanthropist, is globally recognised for his work to accelerate climate action. He was appointed by then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as his first special envoy for cities and climate change in January 2014. Mr Guterres appointed him as his special envoy for climate action in March 2018. Mr Bloomberg resigned in November 2019 to enter the US presidential race.