Michael G. Mahoney

Michael G. Mahoney joined ELI as a Visiting Scholar in April 2019. His work involves developing private environmental governance strategies that provide market incentives for responsible environmental practices in industry supply chains in India and China. Mahoney retired from Pfizer Inc in July 2019.

Prior to retiring he was Vice President and Assistant General Counsel and Pfizer’s Chief Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Compliance Counsel. From 2007 until 2014, Mahoney was the Chief EHS Counsel for the company and led a group of six EHS attorneys. In 2019 he developed a strategy to improve environmental performance and gain market share of certain Pfizer products through development and compliance with a voluntary environmental standard for manufacturing wastewater discharges. In 2008 he successfully developed the business case for Pfizer’s Environmental Sustainability Program and led the program from 2009 until 2010. He authored Pfizer’s Energy Standard in 1996 and was responsible for developing the business case and launching Pfizer’s Climate Change and Energy Program in 2000.

Prior to joining Pfizer’s Legal Division, Mahoney worked as an environmental engineer in the company’s Global Engineering Group and developed several important regulatory alternatives adopted by U.S. EPA. He is a board member for the Environmental Law Institute and the NYC Climate Action Alliance. Mahoney is the former Chair of the Environmental Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association. He also served two terms as chair of PhRMA’s Air Work Group and successfully led PhRMA’s legal challenge of USEPA’s rules for the control of hazardous air pollutants from pharmaceutical manufacturing operations. Mahoney earned his J.D. from Fordham University. He also has an M.S. in environmental engineering and a B.S. in biology, both from Manhattan College.