Díaz López
Dr. Fernando J. Diaz Lopez is a leading expert in climate and sustainability in industry. He is a lead author of the seventh assessment report (AR7) of the Inter-Governmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC).
Fernando is the Executive Director of the Climate and Earth Centre at HEC Paris, part of the prestigious Sustainability and Organisations Institute (S&O).
With a PhD in international economic development from the University of East Anglia, his academic foundation also includes degrees from UAM Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana and Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México.
Fernando’s expertise and scholarly contributions to climate and sustainability are recognized through honorary appointments at multiple institutions: Stellenbosch University’s Industrial Engineering Department, the SEEDS inter-university centre and PhD Programme in Sustainability and Wellbeing at the University of Ferrara, and the INNOGREEN research group at Universidad de Alcalá.
As Associate Editor for the Journal of Cleaner Waste Systems (Elsevier) and Applications of Circular Economy Journal, he helps shape scholarly discourse in industrial decarbonisation and circularity in business.
Dr. Diaz Lopez also serves as a mentor in the Creative Destruction Lab Programme (Climate and Carbon Removal tracks). In 2024/2025, he mentored the finalists of the XPrize ‘Carbon Removal’ competition. Through this work, he is guiding innovative ventures to address one of our most pressing climate challenges.
Want to know more about Fernando? You can always visit his LinkedIn profile for more information.
A dual Dutch-Mexican national with a proud mazahua (jñatrjo) heritage, Fernando has over 25 years of experience in education, research, and practice, specialising in transformative climate resilience, circularity, and eco-innovation.
His expertise extends to influencing EU and international policy and navigating research and innovation ecosystems, notably around Horizon Europe projects.
Executive director of the Climate and Earth Centre of HEC Paris (Sustainability and Organizations Institute – S&O).
Associate Professor extra-ordinary at Stellenbosch University (Dept. of Industrial Engineering).
Research fellow at the University of Ferrara – UNIFE (SEEDS inter-university centre ) and Universidad de Alcala (INNOGREEN research group)
Member of the scientific board of the PhD Programme Sustainability and Wellbeing at UNIFE.
Fernando is the chairman of the advisory board of Causa Natura, the leading Mexican think-thank for climate and biodiversity policies.
Fernando holds a PhD in international economic development from the University of East Anglia, along with a BSc degree from Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEMex) and a MPhil from Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM Xochimilco).
Mission: to help and foster sustainable and climate resilient organisations throught research and teaching in eco-innovation, decarbonisation, and circularity.
Key topics:
• Eco-innovation, circularity and business model innovation for industrial decarbonisation and climate change mitigation.
• Systems transitions & climate innovation for transformative adaptation and resilience.
Mexico is a blend of cultures and traditions. It is a blend of hispanic and indigenous people’s heritage; Born in Toluca (Estado de Mexico), I have the fortune to have Mazahua (jñatrjo) ancestry from San Felipe del Progreso. Want to learnt a few words in jñatrjo? Here you find a dictionary.