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Biden Administration International Affairs Personnel Tracker
Jane Lubchenco
Deputy Director for Climate and the Environment, OSTP
Jane Lubchenco is “one of the nation’s most prominent marine biologists” and most recognized as the former head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (2009-2013). After heading NOAA, she spent two years as the State Department’s first U.S. Science Envoy for the Ocean, where she “worked to advance climate ready fisheries, sustainable aquaculture, smart ocean pla\nning and sustainable economic development abroad” as a “science diplomat to China, Indonesia, South Africa, Mauritius and the Seychelles.” She is currently a marine scientist and Distinguished Professor at Oregon State University as well as a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), The American Philosophical Society, the Royal Society, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and other distinguished academies, and has received multiple honorary degrees and awards, including the 2017 NAS Public Welfare Medal.
This position, also known as the OSTP head of ‘energy and the environment’, does not require Senate confirmation.
On China
Lubchenco appears to have no public opinions specifically on China or U.S.-China relations. However, she has spoken multiple times on the need for joint action by actors at all levels from around the world in countering the climate crisis.
In her role as a climate envoy, Luchenco does have a history of visiting with Chinese counterparts and traveling to China. For instance, on March 23, 2016 Lubchenco visited Professor Li Weiran, Vice President of the Ocean University of China (OUC) at the Laoshan campus “to discuss issues concerning cooperation and exchanges in marine-related fields.” Reacting to a 14-nation ocean sustainability plan agreed upon in December 2020, Lubchenco explained, “It’s a call to action… and not just to governments, but also to the private sector, financial institutions and civil society. It’s a rallying cry.”
This position was added to the tracker because of the heightened attention on climate issues by the Biden Administration and the U.S. and China’s shared status as top greenhouse gas emitters.
Notable Speeches, Testimony & Commentary
Dr. Lubchenco has been a prolific researcher and writer on global ocean science for almost three decades, including collaborative pieces with experts from around the world, but none of her writings appear to be focused on China or U.S.-China relations.
- On February 20, 2022, Lubcheco spoke at a panel discussion at the American Association for the Advancement of Science 2022 Annual Meeting on the topic: Does Science Communication Still Work?
- In January 2022, the Scientific Integrity Task Force (made up of a team of 50 experts from across 29 governmental agencies) releases a report titled “Protecting the Integrity of Government Science”, which was co-led by Alondra Nelson and Jane Lubchenco.
- “A Hotter Future Is Certain, Climate Panel Warns. But How Hot Is Up to Us.” The New York Times, Updated November 11, 2021
- “The report leaves me with a deep sense of urgency…Now is the critical decade for keeping the 1.5 target within reach.”
- “Secretary Granholm, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, and DOE Scientists Discuss Climate Research at the Office of Science,” July 22, 2021, Department of Energy
Media Commentary & Public Perceptions
- “Biden needs scientists with policy chops,” Nature, February 11, 2022
- “Senior scientists need hands-on government-policy experience before they are placed in demanding leadership roles. Jane Lubchenco, the current deputy director for climate and the environment at the OSTP, has held several mid-level policy posts alongside her positions in academia.”
- “House Republicans call for investigation of White House climate official,” Axios, February 10, 2022
- “Lubchenco, a prominent researcher who served as the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during the Obama administration, is facing scrutiny for her role as an editor of a prominent scientific paper that was retracted.”
- “The race to replace Lander at OSTP,” Politico, February 9, 2022
- “A former head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Lubchenco’s scientific expertise is widely regarded. Besides Nelson, her name was mentioned more frequently than any other candidate.”
- “Researchers frustrated as Biden’s science adviser resigns amid scandal,” Nature, February 8, 2022
- “Emily Pinckney, the executive director of 500 Women Scientists…suggests that two researchers already at the OSTP are suited for the role: social scientist Alondra Nelson and ocean scientist Jane Lubchenco.”
- “OSTP Advancing New Scientific Integrity Principles,” American Institute of Physics, January 20, 2022
- “White House scientific integrity panel draws its own scrutiny,” Axios, January 13, 2022
- “Meet Biden’s trailblazing climate science adviser,” E&E News, May 25, 2021
- “Prominent Oregon scientist returns to White House duty with new climate role,” OPB, March 23, 2021
- “Jane Lubchenco Joins Biden All-Star Climate Team,” EDF, March 22, 2021
- “White House appoints former NOAA leader Jane Lubchenco to key climate change role,” Washington Post, March 19, 2021
- “Lubchenco will be the top climate scientist at OSTP, serving under Lander, a prominent geneticist. She will work with the White House climate adviser, former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, as well as the myriad federal agencies that conduct climate science research, from NASA to the Energy Department.”
- “Marine ecologist Lubchenco to lead climate in White House science office,” Reuters, March 19, 2021
- “Obama NOAA leader joins Biden White House in climate role,” The Hill, March 19, 2021
Page Last Updated: April 28, 2022
*None of the personnel in this tracker are associated with the Institute for China-America Studies. All images used on this page are sourced from the official Biden-Harris transition website buildbackbetter.gov or the public domain.*
