Ali Zaidi served as Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor. In this role, he led the White House Climate Policy Office, which coordinated policy development and President Biden's all-of-government approach to tackle the climate crisis, create good-paying, union jobs, and advance environmental justice. Zaidi is a longtime advisor to President Biden, having provided counsel and leadership on climate policy development, legislation, and executive action from day one of the Administration and on the Biden presidential transition and campaign. Before this role, he served as Deputy National Climate Advisor. Zaidi joined the Biden-Harris Administration after serving as the state of New York's Deputy Secretary for Energy and Environment and Chairman of Climate Policy and Finance, where he led the state's efforts on climate change. Zaidi also taught graduate courses on technology policy and studied the fiscal and financial impacts of climate change as an adjunct professor at Stanford University. During that time, Zaidi also co-founded Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy, a Stanford coordinated initiative that equips sustainability-focused startups with pro bono legal services. Zaidi immigrated from Pakistan and grew up outside Erie, Pennsylvania. He received an A.B. from Harvard University and J.D. from Georgetown University.