Michael Gibbs, Assistant Secretary for Climate Change

Biography

On July 16, 2007 Governor Schwarzenegger appointed Michael Gibbs to the California Environmental Protection Agency as Assistant Secretary for Climate Change. In this capacity, Gibbs supports the Climate Action Team, including coordinating initiatives across state agencies while also providing support to the Western Climate Initiative.

Gibbs has more than 25 years of experience in environmental policy analysis and program implementation. He’s worked on emission inventory methods, emission reduction analyses, and program development throughout his career. Most recently, Gibbs helped the City of Los Angeles develop its Climate Action Plan and supported Cal/EPA’s analysis of climate strategies for meeting California’s greenhouse gas emission goals.

Prior to joining Cal/EPA, Gibbs served as Senior Vice President of ICF International where he worked as a consultant and director of the Los Angeles Office. He’s worked with the U.S. technical delegation leading up to the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 that established the international framework for protecting stratospheric ozone. Subsequently, Gibbs supported the development and implementation of the U.S. EPA Methane Programs, and most recently led the updating of Portfolio Manager, the national energy performance rating system for commercial buildings.

Gibbs has traveled extensively, including to support the U.S. Country Studies Program which provided capacity building assistance to 40 countries enabling them to prepare and submit national greenhouse gas emission inventories. As co-chair of the Methane Working Group, he helped draft the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories which is used by countries to submit their greenhouse gas emission inventories.

He led local energy efficiency programs in California for both residential and commercial sectors, and developed a demand response program to help small commercial customers reduce electric demand during peak times.

Gibbs holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Civil Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Masters degree in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Gibbs is married with two children.

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