David Widawsky is the director of WRI’s US Program, leading strategy and a team of 70+ to advance climate action and sustainable development across U.S. federal, state and local levels. His focus includes the energy transition, climate policy, sustainable cities and transportation and nature-based solutions — working closely with policymakers, communities and the private sector.

David joined WRI from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where he most recently served as the inaugural director of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a landmark initiative to channel capital into clean energy projects, particularly in underserved communities. Over his career at EPA, he also held leadership roles in the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, and the National Center for Environmental Innovation. David led the design and scale-up of national programs on clean energy finance, sustainable manufacturing, safer chemical use and more — building cross-sector collaborations with government, industry, academia, and philanthropy to drive impact at scale.

Earlier in his career, David conducted agricultural research across Asia, working with the Rockefeller Foundation on rice biotechnology in India and serving as a social scientist at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines. He served with the U.S. Department of Commerce on trade partnerships for environmental technologies.

David holds a PhD in Applied and Development Economics from Stanford University, and conducted his dissertation research in Eastern China, with a focus on the economics of pesticide use and crop improvement in rice production. He earned an MSc in Agricultural Economics from Colorado State University and bachelor’s degrees in Political Economy of Natural Resources and Plant and Soil Biology from the University of California, Berkeley.

In his spare time, David enjoys cycling, growing vegetables, cooking with and eating (and sharing) those vegetables, metal sculpting, and strumming his guitars.