Ali Zaidi (lawyer)

Ali Zaidi
Ali Zaidi
1st Deputy White House National Climate Advisor
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; January 20, 2021
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Position established
Personal details
Born	Pakistan
Education	Harvard University (AB); Georgetown University (JD)
Occupation	Lawyer, political advisor

Ali A. Zaidi is a Pakistani-American lawyer and political advisor serving as the first deputy White House National Climate Advisor. He was the New York deputy secretary for energy and environment. Zaidi held climate policy positions in the Obama administration including United States Domestic Policy Council deputy director for energy policy and associate director for natural resources, energy, and science at the Office of Management and Budget. Zaidi was a policy aide to U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

Early life and education

Zaidi was born in Pakistan and moved to Edinboro, Pennsylvania with his family in 1993. He graduated from General McLane High School in 2004.[1] Zaidi completed a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. He was editor of the The Georgetown Law Journal.[2]

Career

Obama administration

Since February 2009, Zaidi served for eight years in a number of roles within the Obama administration, including the White House Domestic Policy Council’s (DPC) deputy director for energy policy and policy aide to U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and as special projects coordinator at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB).[3]

As the DPC deputy director for energy policy, Zaidi handled a range of issues on the White House's domestic policy team. Zaidi worked on the design and implementation of federal policies and the development of public and private sector partnerships to increase U.S. energy security and cut harmful carbon pollution. His portfolio covered policy matters related to supply of and demand for energy - including policies that reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil by promoting responsible federal-lands production and adoption of alternative fuels; and policies that create jobs by advancing research and deployment of clean energy and energy efficiency technologies - as well as the intersection of these matters with the President's Climate Action Plan.[3]

Zaidi was associate director for natural resources, energy, and science at the Office of Management and Budget. Zaidi supported development and execution of the President’s economic and environmental policy, and led a team of experts overseeing a wide array of policy, budget, and management issues – including issues related to energy, agriculture, infrastructure, conservation, and technology – across a nearly $100 billion portfolio. In this role, Zaidi also served as OMB’s chief policy official for implementation of the President’s Climate Action Plan, which he helped design and draft.[4]

Private sector

In February 2017, Zaidi joined the law firm Morrison & Foerster as a senior advisor in their Washington, D.C. office.[5] He is a Precourt Scholar and adjunct professor at Stanford University.[2][6] Zaidi is the New York deputy secretary for energy and environment, where he works with the governor on climate policy and finance.[6]

Biden administration

Zaidi is the Deputy White House National Climate Advisor, where he serves under Gina McCarthy.[6] The Economic Times noted that Zaidi will be the highest-ranking Pakistani-American in the Biden administration.[7]

References

Rink, Matthew (December 19, 2020). "Ali Zaidi, 2004 General McLane graduate, picked as Biden's deputy national climate advisor". GoErie. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
"Ali Zaidi | Energy". energy.stanford.edu. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
"Speakers". Energy.gov. Retrieved December 17, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"Ali Zaidi". whitehouse.gov. December 14, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"Former White House Climate and Energy Advisor Ali A. Zaidi Joines Morrison & Foerster". Global Banking & Finance Review. February 16, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
"Pakistan-born Ali Zaidi likely to be appointed as White House deputy climate coordinator". The News International. December 16, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
"Joe Biden names key members of his climate team including Pakistani-American Ali Zaidi". The Economic Times. December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.

Political offices
New creation	Deputy White House National Climate Advisor 2021–present	Incumbent

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[1] Rink, Matthew (December 19, 2020). "Ali Zaidi, 2004 General McLane graduate, picked as Biden's deputy national climate advisor". GoErie. Retrieved December 19, 2020.

[:2-2] "Ali Zaidi | Energy". energy.stanford.edu. Retrieved December 17, 2020.

[:0-3] "Speakers". Energy.gov. Retrieved December 17, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[4] "Ali Zaidi". whitehouse.gov. December 14, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[5] "Former White House Climate and Energy Advisor Ali A. Zaidi Joines Morrison & Foerster". Global Banking & Finance Review. February 16, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2020.

[:1-6] "Pakistan-born Ali Zaidi likely to be appointed as White House deputy climate coordinator". The News International. December 16, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.

[:3-7] "Joe Biden names key members of his climate team including Pakistani-American Ali Zaidi". The Economic Times. December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.