Biden names top economic adviser Deese to fight climate change, jobs crisis

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO – White House senior advisor Brian Deese

By Trevor Hunnicutt, Valerie Volcovici and Andrea Shalal

WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday named Brian Deese, who helped lead President Barack Obama’s efforts to bail out the automotive industry and negotiate the Paris climate agreement, as his top economic adviser.

Deese, 42, would be the youngest person to head the National Economic Council. His appointment signals Biden’s intention to put climate change at the heart of his plans for reviving the U.S. economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deese is “a trusted voice I can count on to help us end the ongoing economic crisis, build a better economy that deals everybody in, and take on the existential threat of climate change in a way that creates good-paying American jobs,” Biden