Pakistan-Born, Ali Zaidi Will Lead US President Elect Joe Biden’s Climate Action

Pakistan-born, Ali Zaidi will be the driving force behind U.S climate change polices under the new administration.

The US President-elect Joe Biden named Ali Zaidi as his Deputy National Climate Advisor. Zaidi will be the highest-ranking Pakistani-American appointed by Biden in his new administration.

So who is Ali A Zaidi?

Zaidi was born in Pakistan and later immigrated to the United States spending his early years in Pennsylvania. He received an A.B. from Harvard University and J.D. from Georgetown University.

Ali had been a longtime advisor to former US President Barack Obama.

During the Obama-Biden Administration, Zaidi served as Associate Director for Natural Resources, Energy, helping to design and implement a wide range of domestic and international policies. 

Why is Zaidi’s new role pivotal?

The Trump administration was aversive to climate change polices and Trump often ridiculed the very notion of “Global Warming.”

To the extent that Trump even bullied renowned child activist Greta Thunberg.

Consequently, U.S became the first country to withdraw from the 2015 Paris Climate Change accord in 2017.

However, complex clauses within the treaty meant that the US could pull-out not before -ironically – 4th November 2020, i.e. the day of US Presidential elections.

Read: US Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders Calls India’s Actions In Kashmir “Unacceptable”

However, President elect Joe Biden has announced that the US will rejoin the Pairs Accord on the very day that he is sworn in as the President.

As the Deputy National Climate Advisor, Ali Zaidi will be at the forefront corrective measures and formulate long-term U.S climate change policies.

As a Pakistani immigrant one hopes that Zaidi will take pride in the fact that Pakistan, despite being a developing nation is among the most active countries committed to fight Climate Change.

Prime Minister Imran Khan recently reaffirmed his commitment to the cause in his address at the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

In the coming days, Zaidi will certainly rise in prominence, not just in the United States but by virtue of his roots, also in Pakistan. It will be very interesting to follow the young advisor’s ascend in the US political arena.