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Fernando Javier DIAZ LOPEZ is the executive director of the Climate and Earth Centre of HEC Paris (Sustainability and Organizations Institute – S&O). He holds honorary appointments at Stellenbosch University (associate professor extra-ordinary), University of Ferrara and Universidad de Alcala (research fellow).
With a rich background including past roles at EIT Climate-KIC (European Institute of Innovation and Technology), Technopolis Group, TNO and Nalco Chemical, he is a thought leader in eco-innovation for circularity, decarbonisation, and transformative climate resilience in business.
With an h-index of 12 and over 1200 citations (google scholar), Fernando’s scientific and practice-oriented publications include over 150 documents (articles, books, chapters, guidelines, research reports, conference papers, policy briefs, contributions to official documents). His work is published in top environmental journals, including the Journal of Cleaner Production (Q1 env. sciences, H-Index of 309) and Ecological Economics (Q1 economics, H-Index of 248).
Over the years, Fernando has gathered a unique portfolio of research of more than 60 grants and advisory contracts with a value of over 90 million Euros. His work has been funded by: the European Commission (Horizon Europe, H2020, FP7, FP6, EuropeAid), UN Environment, Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank.
Fernando has also been an advisor to companies in the private sector with pressing sustainability and decarbonisation questions, including: the KUO Group, Orbia, Savid Dominicana, P&G, and Rockwool Benelux. He also has hands-on experience in the design and implementation of cleantech-transfer projects.
In addition to being associated editor at Elsevier’s Cleaner Waste Systems and the Applications of Circular Economy Journals, he is a reviewer of different leading journals (Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal of Industrial Ecology, Nature Energy, among others).
Fernando has also been an evaluator for the European Commission Horizon Europe programme, the Dutch Research Funding Organisation NWO, the National Science Foundation of South Africa, the Mexican Science for Science and Technology, among others.
More recently, he’s also been involved as a mentor and jury of climatech entreprenurship programmes, most notable those of HEC Paris Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute and the X Prize (Carbon Removal).
Circular Economy: Transition for Future Sustainability (Learning facilitator)
Strategizing Sustainable Business Transformations (Lecturer Module Low Carbon Innovation)
How to Drive the Transition to the Circular Economy through Science, Technology, and Innovation Policies (course design and course director)
Throughout his career, Fernando has strived to create an impact on organisations and society at large.
At the international level, he has assisted United Nations’ Global Eco-innovation Project, the Inter-American Development Bank Green Innovation and Circular Economy knowledge programme and the RELAI Network of Innovation Agencies in their efforts to incorporate circular economy and climate action among decision makers in Latin America. He also co-led the study for the European Commission’s impact assessment of the Revision of the Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation.
Before joining HEC Paris, he was responsible for the research agenda of EIT Climate KIC’s – the largest European climate initiative. A key milestone was the acquisition of over 130 million Euros in grants implementing the EU missions of climate adaptation, soils, and carbon neutral cities under Horizon Europe. Fernando’s work at CKIC also included leading its science-policy lab, the Transitions Hub and the overall co-ordination of the Pathways2Resilience project (30 million Euros).
