Richard 'Tad' Ferris is the Senior Counsel for the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD), where he leads governance work across IGSD on non-CO2 super climate pollutants. Tad is also IGSD’s acting General Counsel. Tad’s focus includes strengthening governance strategies to cut non-CO2 super climate pollutants, including governance mechanisms at all levels that are fit for purpose to implement fast, near-term reductions.
Tad has over three decades of experience as an international environmental, health, and climate lawyer focusing on treaties, compliance, developing-country legal systems, and global public affairs. His legal work and research have focused on bridging national understanding of environmental legal systems and strengthening protections for vulnerable populations. This also includes building NGO, government, multilateral-organization, and private-sector groups aimed at sustainability, climate, health, and regulatory compliance leadership.
Tad holds a Master’s degree in East Asian Studies, a Master’s degree in Comparative and International Law, and a Juris Doctor degree. Tad serves in numerous academic, multilateral, and NGO advisory roles, including on the Duke University School of Law International Advisory Board and the International Nitrogen Network (iN-NET) Governance Working Group. He is a member of the bar in Washington, DC, and Massachusetts. Tad is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and English.
Latest Resources
- Ferris, R. (2025), Preventing the Dumping in Vulnerable Developing-Country Markets of Inefficient Cooling Equipment Using Obsolete Refrigerants: A Resource Guide (Also available on the Climate & Clean Air Coalition website).
- Fajardo, V., Zalke, D., Hull, A., Dreyfus, G., Sun, X., Ferris, R., and Miller, J. (2024), Primer on Anthropogenic Nitrous Oxide: The Last Significant Ozone-Depleting Substance and Greenhouse Gas Not Regulated by the Montreal Protocol.
- Sun, X., Ferris, R., and Fajardo, V. (2024), China’s Ongoing Efforts to Address Methane Emissions and Opportunities to Further Raise China’s Methane Mitigation Ambition.
