Zahra Saifee, a Young Leader With the Wind at Her Back

The winner of NWF’s 2024 Young Leader Award, Saifee works on offshore wind for the Environmental League of Massachusetts

By Delaney McPherson
Next Generation
Sep 26, 2024

“I’VE BEEN AN ENVIRONMENTALIST FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE, and I attribute it to growing up outside,” says 24-year-old Zahra Saifee, the recipient of the National Wildlife Federation’s 2024 Young Leader Award.

The policy and advocacy coordinator for the Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM), an NWF affiliate, Saifee’s passion for conservation began long before her professional career. A native of Utah, Saifee was raised near Zion National Park, where she saw firsthand how vital access to public lands is. When she moved to Salt Lake City—listed as the 9th worst U.S. city for ozone pollution by the American Lung Association—for college, she learned about the connection between air quality and environmental justice. After graduating with a degree in environmental studies and communications, she moved to Boston, where she began working with ELM on offshore wind.

“I saw the possibility and potential of this industry, and the opportunity to right the wrongs of fossil fuels, set up infrastructure and resource underprivileged communities,” Saifee says.

As part of its work, ELM leads New England for Offshore Wind, a coalition of more than 100 organizations creating a united front for responsible and equitable offshore wind. Toward that end, Saifee developed an Environmental Justice Values document, which has been adopted by all coalition members. The document identifies recognition, diversity and specificity, intentionality and engagement, and intersectional opportunity as framework priorities for building relationships and partnerships.