Todd Stern undoubtedly has the most critical role in the US contemporary energy adventure. The Special Envoy for Climate Change, close to Hillary Clinton, in reality acts as Viceroy for the United States, and perhaps this isn’t such a bad idea. His role is not exclusively to obtain international agreements to reduce CO2 emissions, or protect the economic, technological and political interests of the States in the lengthy negotiations on American commitments to climate change vis-a-vis the rest of the world. He interprets his mandate, as defined by the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, as both authorizing and obliging him to cover all aspects touching on climate–and therefore energy– issues, both for the US as well as the rest of the world.