Robert Watson
Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs
Personal Details
Focus areas: green buildings, market transformation, sustainable materials management, sustainability, recycling, circular economy
Rob Watson is an Adjunct Professor at SIPA. Rob has spent three decades conceiving and implementing market transformation policies, programs and projects on four continents that combine regulatory push with market pull to optimize environmental and economic outcomes. Rob seeks to optimize energy and environmental benefits through the intersection of services and technologies across multiple sectors -- from green buildings, and sustainable urban mobility to zero waste management. Pulitzer prize-winning author and New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman, calls Mr. Watson “one of America’s best environmental minds” and has featured his work in Hot, Flat and Crowded and The World is Flat 3.0. For its 2019 sestercentennial edition, Dartmouth Alumni Magazine recognized Rob as one of Dartmouth’s “25 Most Influential Alumni.”
A global leader in the green building movement, Rob spent 21 years in the international environmental non-profit sector, during which time he founded the LEED green building system of the U.S. Green Building Council. Since 2007, he has been in a leadership role at four start-ups ranging from international and US-based green building services & technology companies to a zero-waste technology. Watson has been honored with several national and international awards and has authored and been featured in numerous articles and publications worldwide. Rob is a regular speaker and conference keynote. Mr. Watson has an AB from Dartmouth College, an MSc from University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from Columbia University.
Education
- MBA, Columbia University
- MSc, University of California, Berkeley
- AB, Dartmouth College
Honors and Awards
- 2019-Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, 25 Most Influential Alumni
- 2016-2018-Be Waste Wise (www.wastewise.be), Waste Wise Influencer
- 2014 Government Commendation, Gosstroi, Contributions to the Sustainability of the Sochi Olympics
- 2013-US Green Building Council, LEED Fellow
- 2013-Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT), International Award of Excellence
- 2011-Zayed Future Energy Prize nominee and semi-finalist
- 2009-Fellow, Institute of Green Professionals
- 2005-China Ministry of Construction, Green Building Innovation Award (First time the award had been given to a foreigner.)
- 2005-Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), International Energy Professional Development Award
- 2004-AEE-New York Chapter, Award for Energy Professional Development
- 2004-Interiors and Sources Magazine, Top 25 Environmental Heroes
- 2003-Engineering News Record, Top 25 Newsmakers
- 2002- US Green Building Council: Lifetime Achievement—first person so awarded
In The Media
“It’s completely thrilling.” said Robert Watson about Ithaca's building decarbonization program. According to Adam Zurofsky, the initiative promotes cross-sector cooperation that will generate savings and economic opportunities.