U.S. Diplomacy and Climate Change: Global Impacts

Where does the world stand on addressing the challenge of climate change: progress, success stories and the work still to be done. Ambassador Blake, the former Senior Advisor to Presidential Envoy for Climate Secretary John Kerry, attended the latest global climate talks in Dubai in late 2023 and will provide a report card on the COP28 Summit and its implications first dealing with the challenge of climate change. He will provide his own insights on how the U.S. can best enhance its diplomacy to help meet this global challenge.

Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr. served for 31 years in the State Department in a wide range of leadership positions. He is currently Senior Managing Director, leading McLarty Associates’ Climate and Southeast Asia Practices. From 2013 to 2016, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, where he focused on building stronger business and educational ties between the U.S. and Indonesia. In this role, Ambassador Blake worked with the CEOs of the largest palm oil producers to conclude a major sustainable palm oil initiative and supported efforts by US companies to win $1+ billion in wind, solar, and other clean energy contracts. He also served as Senior Advisor to Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry to help conclude a Just Energy Transition Partnership with Indonesia in 2022. In 2009, Ambassador Blake was nominated by President Obama to be Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, serving from 2009 to 2013, for which he was awarded the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award. Ambassador Blake held a wide variety of key State Department positions as well, including Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs and Deputy Executive Secretary for the Department of State. He is currently Chairman of the Board of the U.S.-Indonesia Society, is a member of the board of the Asia Foundation and serves on the Global Leadership Council of the World Resources Institute and the National Committee of the World Wildlife Fund. Ambassador Blake holds a BA from Harvard College, and an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC.