Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) has announced the departure of State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth. In an internal email addressed to the staff of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Schneider stated that Flasbarth had informed him of his decision to leave the ministry to join the European Climate Foundation next year.
Flasbarth served as a state secretary in the environmental ministry for nearly nine years, following four years spent as a state secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Schneider praised Flasbarth in the memo, describing him as a “veteran of German environmental and climate policy.” He emphasized that Flasbarth had uniquely shaped German, European, and international environmental and climate policies over the decades.
Flasbarth’s departure is effective shortly. Heike Henn has been named his successor. Henn was recently the Head of Department for International Climate Policy at the Federal Ministry for the Environment. Schneider expressed confidence in the transition, noting that Henn “knows the house, its topics, and its working methods and will bring her own experience and perspective to this important role.” Henn assumes this post at a crucial time for the ministry, as the 31st United Nations Climate Conference is set to begin in Turkey on November 9th.
