Jacinda Ardern, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, will work alongside leaders from Conservation International to advocate for climate action and better treatment of the environment, the group said on Monday.
Ardern had become its sixth Arnhold Distinguished Fellow and would serve a two-year term to advocate internationally, especially on issues affecting the Pacific and Antarctica, Conservation International said.
The role was considered part-time and came with a stipend, the group said.
It is one of several new roles Ardern has announced since unexpectedly stepping down as prime minister in January. She is also completing dual fellowships at Harvard University’s Kennedy School and writing a book on leadership.
Jacinda Ardern said in a statement, “From the beginning of my time in the New Zealand Parliament, I’ve advocated for global climate action. My passion and sense of urgency on this issue have only increased over the last 15 years, especially as I witnessed firsthand the impact of climate change in our region.”
Ardern’s government joined other countries in 2020 by symbolically declaring a climate emergency. Though the declaration came without any new statutory powers or money, she said at the time that it admitted the burden the next generation encounters.
Ardern said, “For them, it is instinctual, it is tangible, it is real. It is about the country they will inherit.”
Ardern also banned new exploration for offshore oil and gas and plastic shopping bags.
Ardern’s appointment was a win for the entire conservation and climate movement, Conservation International CEO M. Sanjayan said, adding that she “has modeled the kind of leadership, empathy, and determination required to deliver crucial environmental and climate solutions.”
Just 37 when she became prime minister in 2017, Ardern became a global icon of the left. When she stepped down she said she no longer had “enough in the tank” to do the job justice. Her political popularity in New Zealand had been vanishing, and her successor Chris Hipkins suffered a heavy defeat in a general election last month.
