Rich Kassel

Rich Kassel joined AJW as a partner in April 2022, bringing his policy expertise and strategic skills on clean air, clean energy, green buildings, sustainable transportation, and other environmental issues to help AJW’s clients meet their environmental and sustainability goals.

Rich serves on the boards or advisory committees of several leading environmental organizations and startups, all of which enhance his work with AJW clients in the business and nonprofit sectors. Rich recently completed his tenure as EPA’s Mobile Sources Technical Review Subcommittee Chair, where he provided independent advice and counsel on the agency’s transportation and air quality programs.

Earlier in his career, Rich spent more than two decades advocating on New York, national, and international clean air, energy, and transportation issues at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). His New York and national “Dump Dirty Diesels” Campaigns helped launch a move toward cleaner trucks, buses, offroad diesel equipment, heating oil, and marine engines in New York and nationwide.

Rich has advised governments and other stakeholders on transportation issues around the world. He was part of the founding team that created the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles, which led the successful global campaign to eliminate leaded gasoline and reduce vehicle pollution worldwide. He served on the U.S. delegation to the International Maritime Organization that secured the world’s first Emission Control Area for ships, dramatically reducing ship emissions within 200 miles of U.S. coastlines, and was part of an international team that helped create a similar program in China. He has also worked closely with the Mexican government and environmental community on a range of diesel fuel and vehicle emissions programs.

Rich’s work has been honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program, the German Marshall Fund, and many others. Rich was recognized as one of New York’s “50 Over 50” leaders in 2019 and as one of its “Energy and Environment Power 100” in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 by City & State, New York’s leading political and policy media organization.