Hadia Sheerazi

Hadia Sheerazi has lead research, projects and partnerships to derisk the deployment of first-of-a-kind (FOAK) and commercial-scale clean energy and infrastructure projects through effective stakeholder identification, outreach, education and engagement, with a focus on renewables, and the highest-emitting industrial sectors (aluminum, ammonia, cement & concrete, steel, shipping, waste-methane) via novel and established clean hydrogen and carbon removal technologies. She has lead dozens of sector-specific capacity-building workshops, webinars, and 1:1 consultations for key decisionmakers – project developers, utilities, federal, state and local policymakers, regulators, investors, labor, and host communities – to advance local and regional priorities for workforce development, resilience, and sustainable economic growth.

Through innovative thought leadership and high-impact collaborations with the public and private sectors, think tanks, national labs, NGOs, and academic institutions, Hadia is driving efforts to replicate and scale universal best practices to accelerate the energy transition in the U.S. and globally.

Hadia has cross-sectoral experience in the public, private, NGO, community-based organizations, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), and academic sectors. Prior to joining RMI as a Manager in the Climate-Aligned Industries Program, Hadia served as the program manager of the Carbon Management Research Initiative at Columbia University, where she managed the nonpartisan Initiative’s efforts to catalyze whole systems change through data-driven research, partnerships. She facilitated engagements with policymakers from 20+ Congressional offices, House and Senate Committees on energy, climate and the environment, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Global Change, U.S. Department of State, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), and the inaugural White House National Climate Task Force, and convened high-level decarbonization and net-zero strategy briefings for ministers, diplomats, and policymakers from Europe, Asia, Latin America and Oceania. Hadia led Columbia University’s successful submission for a $10 million grant from NYSERDA for the Carbontech Development Initiative to establish a world-class hub of carbon-to-value research, technology transfer and commercialization in New York State.

Hadia was invited by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies (HFTO) team to serve as an expert merit reviewer for multiple applications seeking $3MM in federal funding for projects to support the goals of the U.S. National Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap. She has also presented testimony before the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and New York State’s Climate Action Council (CAC). Hadia has been a contributing member of the NPCC’s (New York City Panel on Climate Change) Climate and Science Projections working group. The NPCC is a voluntary body of climate scientists and researchers tasked with reviewing and synthesizing recent climate research and advising the Mayor’s Office on New York City’s multi-hazard adaptation strategy, including over $20 billion of investments and major coastal resiliency projects in all five boroughs.

Hadia has been internationally recognized for her research and contributions to the global energy transition, equitable industrial decarbonization, sustainable development, and community-centric adaptation and resilience in low-income and coastal communities around the world. Most recently, she was named to Reuters Events’ “Trailblazing Women in 2025” global list, and was a finalist for the Equality in Energy Transitions Initiative award at the 15th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and 9th Mission Innovation Ministerial (MI-9) in Brazil. In 2022, she was recognized as one of “50 Rising Stars in ESG'' in the Financial Times (one of two women from North America) by a panel of ESG leaders from Burberry, PwC, Aviva, Tesco and Oxford University’s Saïd Business School. She was also named to Yahoo!Finance’s “HERoes Top 100: Future Leader Role Models'' global list. Hadia is the first individual global winner of the United Nations Development Programme-administered King Hamad Youth Empowerment Award to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for contributions to UN SDGs 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, 16, and 17. She is the recipient of the Sandra Forte Memorial Award for Emerging Professionals from Advancing Women in Transportation (WTS) for her project to improve the safety and sustainability of the New York City subway, the Morton Deutsch Award for Social Justice for her research on inequalities faced by women and girls in sports from Columbia Teacher’s College, and was a finalist on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. Hadia was named a “Global Champion for Women’s Economic Empowerment” by UN Women’s EmpowerWomen initiative, and invited to the inaugural United State of Women (USOW) Summit by the White House Council on Women and Girls as a“Nominated Changemaker." She has contributed to several scholarly reports, commentaries, special reports, and articles published by RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute), Columbia University, Columbia Climate School, IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency), and the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS).

Hadia has served as an Ambassador for the ONE Campaign, Girl Rising, and A World at School. Hadia was selected as a two-term Youth Delegate to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and World Bank youth summits. Hadia has been invited to serve as a moderator, expert panelist and keynote speaker at national and international conferences and high-level intergovernmental events on energy, decarbonization, resilience and sustainable development, including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), U.S. Department of State, D.C. Climate Week, New York Climate Week, Intersolar North America, World Hydrogen North America, World Electrolysis North America, Reuters’ Energy Transition North America, Global Youth Climate Summit, and was invited by the Norwegian UNEA Presidency to speak as a representative of the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth (UNMGCY) at the 2020 Act #forNature Forum, the largest global digital consultation on the environment and the post-pandemic recovery. In 2015 she was invited to deliver the Youth Keynote Address in the UN General Assembly Hall to commemorate the 70th anniversary of civil society at the UN.

Hadia was a post-graduate Fellow to Nobel Laureate, Leymah Gbowee at Columbia University’s Women, Peace and Security Program, and served as a former Net Impact Climate Fellow, United Nations SDSN Local Pathways Fellow, Youth Expert in the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network, Climate Reality Leader, and Honorary Advisory to the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development at the United Nations. She has served on the Young Professionals Board of the Young Women’s Council of the High Water Women Foundation, was a mentor in Women in Green Hydrogen (WiGH), Girls Write Now, Inc., an Amplifier for Girl Be Heard, member of the Grants Advisory Committee of The New York Women’s Foundation (NYWF), and served on the Steering Committee of the Women's Foreign Policy Group (WFPG) Young Professionals Network. Most recently she served a 3-year term on the Young Professionals Steering Committee of the Association for a Better New York (ABNY).

Hadia holds a dual master of science degree in Sustainability Management and Conflict Resolution from Columbia University, and graduated as Class Speaker and Student Marshall with a bachelor of arts degree in Government and Politics from St. John’s University.

Sub-specialties
Adaptation, Carbon Management, Circular Carbon Economy, Climate Change, Climate Action, Climate Advocacy, Climate Justice, Climate Resilience, Climate Regulation, Conflict Resolution, DEIA, Diplomacy, Disability Rights, Disaster Recovery, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), ESG, Energy Policy, Energy Poverty, Energy Security, Environment, Environmental Justice, Equity, FERC, Flooding, Heatwaves, Geopolitics, Loss and Damage, NPCC, Renewable Hydrogen, Resilience, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Sustainable Cities, Women and Sports, Women in Energy (WIE), Women in Cities, Women in Diplomacy, Women in Leadership, Women, Peace and Security (WPS), Youth and Climate, Youth Leadership.