Expertise: Building Decarbonization

Noah Horowitz

Noah Horowitz is Program Director of the Clean Cooling Collaborative at ClimateWorks Foundation. Before joining ClimateWorks, Noah’s work as a Senior Scientist with Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Director of the Center for Energy Efficiency Standards aimed to make buildings and the equipment inside them more energy efficient.

Noah has worked on the state, federal and international levels and his areas of expertise include residential lighting and appliances, consumer electronics, and energy-saving “cool” roofs.  Noah co-authored model regulations issued by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) for use by developing countries for air conditioners and refrigeration equipment. He also served as the World-wide Manager of Environmental Programs for the Quaker Oats Company.

Noah holds a BS in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a MS in environmental engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Jan Mazurek, Ph.D.

Jan Mazurek, PhD directs the Aviation and Carbon Dioxide Removal initiatives. She has worked on energy and environmental initiatives at the federal and state level for 30 years. Prior to ClimateWorks, Dr. Mazurek was appointed by then-Governor Schwarzenegger to serve as Science and Technology advisor to the California Air Resources Board. Dr. Mazurek recently served in her spare time on the Biden Climate/Energy/Environment Policy Committee. Before CARB, Dr. Mazurek was a member of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team, advising on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency toxics, pesticides, and children’s health issues. She has published two books with the MIT Press and Johns Hopkins University presses, respectively, and more than 100 other publications, including op-eds in major U.S. newspapers. Dr. Mazurek has testified on environmental policy matters before U.S. Congressional subcommittees. She holds a doctorate from UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Scott Shell

FAIA, LEED® AP BD+C, CPHC®

Scott Shell is an architect with over two decades of experience pioneering low-carbon and sustainable architectural design. At ClimateWorks, Scott focuses on opportunities to reduce the carbon intensity of building materials across the globe, including concrete, cement, and steel.

Before joining ClimateWorks Foundation, Scott was a partner at EHDD Architecture, where he advocated for new policies to promote low-carbon and healthy buildings in California. During his tenure, he led the design of many high-performance buildings, including the net zero energy David & Lucile Packard Foundation and Lick-Wilmerding High School Campus Expansion and Renovation. Scott has been recognized for his work as a leading voice among architects for decarbonization in California, including the 2021 USGBC Regional Leadership Award.

Scott frequently speaks on topics of decarbonization and high-performance design. He currently serves as co-chair for advocacy of the Climate Action Committee at AIA California and climate innovation advisor for EHDD Architecture.

Scott earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Auburn University and a master’s in humanities from Stanford University.

Axum Teferra

Axum Teferra is Senior Associate Director of the Clean Cooling Collaborative at ClimateWorks Foundation. She brings over a decade of experience in climate and energy policy, strategic planning, and program implementation.

Prior to joining ClimateWorks, Axum spent several years overseeing efficiency, renewable energy and electrification programs in state and regional government. Most recently, she was on the climate team at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, where she launched the agency’s first building-sector decarbonization strategy. Axum previously worked as Clean Energy Planner at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council of Greater Boston, producing energy-reduction plans and advising cities on various sustainability solutions, including clean heating and cooling technologies. She also served as an Industry and Innovation Support Consultant at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, where she facilitated international cleantech partnerships.

She holds a BS in Environmental Conservation from Texas Tech University and an MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University.