Ali Zaidi to Give Inaugural Penn Climate Seminar
Penn Climate is thrilled to welcome Professor Ali Zaidi as the inaugural speaker for the Penn Climate Seminar Series (for more on the series, see below). Earlier this year, Zaidi joined the University of Pennsylvania as Professor of Practice, the newest chapter in his already storied career in government, academia, and the private sector.
In government, he has served under two U.S. Presidents and at the highest levels of state government. Most recently, Professor Zaidi worked in the West Wing as the U.S. National Climate Advisor and Head of the White House Climate Policy Office, which coordinated policy development and the U.S. government’s overall strategy on climate and clean energy. During his tenure, Zaidi advanced pathbreaking efforts to improve public health outcomes by reducing pollution and bolstering the resilience of communities. Most notably, Zaidi helped design, negotiate, and implement landmark legislation: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the largest investment in American infrastructure in a generation, and the Inflation Reduction Act, widely regarded as one of the most consequential efforts to accelerate clean energy manufacturing and innovation anywhere in the world.
Under President Obama, Zaidi served as associate director of Natural Resources, Energy, and Science for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and as deputy director of Energy Policy for the Domestic Policy Council. At OMB, Zaidi led a 60-person team that was responsible for overseeing a wide array of policy, budget, and management issues across a nearly $100 billion portfolio and a number of federal agencies, including the Departments of Energy, Agriculture, and the Interior, the National Science Foundation, and NASA. In this role, Zaidi was part of the delegation that negotiated the Paris climate agreement; developed the White House response to the Flint, Michigan, water crisis; and drafted parts of the Administration strategy on topics ranging from Mars exploration to governance of artificial intelligence.
As an attorney, Zaidi helped launch a sustainable investment practice focused on fund formation, M&A, and governance in the climate and clean energy arena. He has founded and advised non-profit efforts, taught courses on climate and technology policy, and served various boards. He has specialized on the investment and innovation needed to address climate change, a topic on which he will speak at the 9/3 Penn Climate seminar.
Professor Zaidi was born in Karachi, Pakistan, immigrating to the United States when he was five years old, and grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his law degree from Georgetown University. This fall, he will teach Materials Science and Engineering 7900 on Energy, Water, and Materials for the AI Economy.
Professor Zaidi speaking at a press conference with PA Governor Josh Shapiro (right) and former U. S. Senator (PA-D) Bob Casey Jr. (left). Photo courtesy PA State Government.
