John Kerry Named Next Penn Carnot Prize Recipient

The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania is pleased to announce this year’s Carnot Prize recipient John Kerry, former U.S. senator, secretary of state, and presidential climate envoy. Kerry will receive the prize this fall on Penn campus at a ceremony and lecture in his honor.

Kerry, a long-time advocate for climate crisis diplomacy and solutions that achieve a just and sustainable energy transition, is currently a Visiting Distinguished Statesman for global climate and oceans affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Prior to this role, he served as the 68^th secretary of state under President Obama and as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate under President Biden. For nearly thirty years, he served as a U.S. senator, representing Massachusetts. 

“I’m honored to receive the Carnot Prize and to be associated with a remarkable community of leaders who have dedicated their lives to advancing good energy policy. At a moment when the choices we make on energy will shape both our climate and our future, I am especially grateful to the Kleinman Center for recognizing the importance of turning ideas into action—and of building a clean energy transition that is both ambitious and just,” said Kerry.

Throughout decades of public service, Kerry has been instrumental in forging domestic and international cooperation to address the defining energy and environmental challenges of our lifetime. His leadership as secretary of state helped secure the landmark Paris Agreement, and he continues to mobilize governments, businesses, investors, and communities to pursue ambitious climate and clean energy solutions. 

As inaugural climate envoy, Kerry negotiated the restoration of climate cooperation between China and the United States, and energized the UAE Consensus at COP28, a breakthrough agreement between nearly 200 countries to transition away from fossil fuels for the very first time.

“Everything I’ve ever done and advocated for in this is based on science. No politics,” he has said, “There’s no liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican electrons or molecules.” 

During his career, Kerry has been increasingly vocal about the concern for climate change and the importance of the energy transition. The first hearing he held as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2009 was on climate diplomacy. He has urged government leaders to stop financing coal projects, to embrace power purchase agreements for renewable energy, and to expedite permitting for wind and solar.

“We look forward to recognizing The Hon. John Kerry with one of our most distinguished awards for his consequential contributions to energy and climate policy,” said J. Larry Jameson, President of the University of Pennsylvania. “As a champion of the global energy transition, Secretary Kerry shares Penn’s commitment to bringing together science, technology, and policy to address climate challenges at home and around the world.”

The Carnot Prize is awarded to individuals who have contributed significantly to energy policy through either scholarship or practice. Kerry is the tenth recipient of the Carnot Prize and joins a highly qualified group of previous winners, including:

• Jacqueline Patterson (2024)
• Ramón Méndez Galain (2023)
• Nicholas Stern (2022)
• Sheila Oparaocha (2021)
• Cheryl LaFleur (2019)
• Piyush Goyal (2018)
• Gina McCarthy (2017)
• Fatih Birol (2016)
• Daniel Yergin (2015)

“Over his impressive career, Secretary Kerry has worked tirelessly to address the joint challenges of the climate crisis and the energy transition. We are so grateful for his courage, intellect, and dedication to this important work,” said Sanya Carley, faculty director of the Kleinman Center and the university’s climate provost.

Kerry will accept this award the evening of September 17 at the University of Pennsylvania. A lecture by Cary Coglianese, Penn law professor and Kleinman Center faculty fellow, will be given in his honor.