Margo T. Oge

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Margo T. Oge is an American engineer, environmental regulator, and author who helped shape U.S. air quality and transportation emissions standards. She was born in Athens, Greece, and earned a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Oge spent 32 years at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), retiring in 2012. She began in the Office of Toxic Chemicals, helped draft biodegradable six-pack ring legislation while working with Senator John Chafee, and in 1990 became director of the EPA’s Office of Indoor Air and Radiation. In 1993 her office released a report finding that secondhand smoke posed a public health risk, a finding that faced legal challenges but was upheld in later years.

In 1994 she became director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality, overseeing regulations that reduced emissions from heavy-duty trucks, buses, locomotives, marine vessels, and off-road equipment, and helping implement the Renewable Fuel Standard.

In 2009–2012, Oge led efforts for the 2010 national program to reduce greenhouse gases and improve fuel economy. She also headed the development of greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency rules for medium- and heavy-duty trucks for model years 2014–2018, and in 2012 the program was extended to 2025, aiming for a fleet-wide average of 54.5 mpg and significant emissions reductions. The Economist called these measures among the world’s most effective climate actions.

After leaving the EPA, Oge became Chair Emeritus of the International Council on Clean Transportation and serves on the boards of the Union of Concerned Scientists. She is a Distinguished Fellow at the ClimateWorks Foundation and advises the Climate Imperative Foundation and Deloitte’s Center for Sustainability Progress. She has also served on the Volkswagen Sustainability Council and on National Academies boards. In 2015 arcade Publishing released her book Driving the Future: Combating Climate Change with Cleaner, Smarter Cars.

Oge is married to Cuneyt Oge and has two children. Her website is margooge.com.