Tilden Chao

Tilden helps lead the CC Lab's work on short-lived climate pollutants and refrigerant gases such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). He is certified under EPA's Clean Air Act to handle refrigerants in both stationary and mobile cooling applications. He currently serves on the Montreal Protocol Technology and Economic Assessment Panel's Task Force on Lifecycle Refrigerant Management, and Washington State's Ozone-Depleting Substances Technical Working Group.

Previously, Tilden directed the Yale Refrigerants Initiative, a grant-funded project that pioneered a method of inventorying refrigerants on institutional campuses. He has also spent time researching refrigerant use and emissions in the stationary and mobile sectors in Southeast Asia and the United States.

Tilden graduated from Yale College in 2023, magna cum laude (Phi Beta Kappa), with a B.A. in Economics and a certificate in Energy Studies. He enjoys biking around New Haven, birdwatching, and hiking. He is a proud Fellow of Ezra Stiles College.