Bio

Sanjay Seth is Chief of Staff & Senior Advisor for Climate and Equity for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 1, which is a 550-person unit of EPA focused on the New England region. In this role, he supports the Regional Administrator to craft and implement policy, planning, operations, and personnel strategies across all programs, with a focus on climate change, environmental justice, and regional implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act programs. 

Previously, he served as Climate Resilience Program Manager for the City of Boston, where he managed the Climate Ready Boston program, which focuses on implementing a multi-billion dollar resilience plan to help prepare Boston for the impacts of climate change. Prior to Boston, Sanjay worked on an interdisciplinary consultant team on behalf of the City of New York to support a plan for a multi-billion dollar investment to protect New York from the impacts of climate change. 

While at Harvard, he founded the Climate Leaders Program, a year-long interdisciplinary program for students with a professional interest in climate action, which is based at the Harvard University Center for the Environment. He was also co-founder and co-president of Harvard Alumni for Climate and the Environment, a non-profit with approximately 2,000 members affiliated with the Harvard Alumni Association. 

Previously, Sanjay has served as a fellow of New Urban Progress, a program focused on transatlantic relations among metropolitan regions focused on developing more sustainable and just cities. He served on a teaching team at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government for a hands-on course focused on building effective, values-driven organizing campaigns. He served as a Fellow of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, developing tailored management, leadership, and decision-making programs for mayors and their senior staff. And he has served as a Research Analyst at Regional Plan Association, focusing on climate adaptation, climate mitigation, and international forums for sharing best practices among global cities and regions. 

Originally from Bismarck, North Dakota, Sanjay has a background in community and political organizing. Sanjay is a dual-degree graduate in the Master in Urban Planning program at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Master in Public Administration program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He also holds a Bachelor’s in Economics, Politics, and Public Policy from Goldsmiths’ College, University of London. 

Careers in Climate Action Speaker Series Event: November 7th

Mark your calendar to hear from Sanjay at the Careers in Climate Action Speaker Series event on November 7th. Sanjay will participate in a Q&A about his career path, current role, and advice for Harvard students interested in a career in climate and sustainability. Stay tuned for registration details.