Fernando Javier Diaz Lopez

Dr. Fernando J. Diaz Lopez is the Executive Director of the Climate and Earth Centre of HEC Paris, hosted by the Sustainability and Organisations Institute (S&O). A chemical engineering by training, Fernando holds a PhD in international economic development by the University of East Anglia (UK) and a MPhil in Economics and Management of Innovation by Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana (Mexico). His area of expertise is at the intersection between eco-innovation and circularity in business, value chains and industry. More recently, he has developed original research in the areas of sustainable product policy, waste policies and sustainability-oriented circular business models.

Prior to his move to HEC, he worked for EIT Climate KIC as the scientific director of the Transitions Hub (applied research unit). For over 12 years he worked as a scientific researcher at TNO, the Dutch Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, followed by roles as principal consultant and researcher at Technopolis group and his own practice. He started his academic career at the Competence Centre for Transitions, in Delft. Fernando holds several honorary positions: Associate Editor of the Cleaner Waste Systems Journal, Associate Professor Extra-ordinary in Sustainability Systems at Stellenbosch University, Research Fellow at the Inter-University Research Centre SEEDS – Sustainability Environmental Economic and Dynamic Studies (hosted by UNIFE, Italy), Director of the Innovation for Sustainable Development Network (www.inno4sd.net), and president of the governing board of Causa Natura, a think-thank focusing on environmental policies in the field of oceans, forests and waste. He is currently a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank for the knowledge programme on green innovation and circular economy for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Fernando is an experienced project manager of European funded projects, having coordinated the Pathways2Resilience and H2020 Green.eu consortiums. He has also experience as work package leader and principal investigator in several other EU funded research projects (Gemex, Polfree. Emininn, etc.). He has co-authored over 160 publications, including peer-reviewed articles, books, chapters and a large number of scientific and technical reports.