HEC Paris Academic Appointed IPCC Lead Author on Industry

Fernando J. Díaz López, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Climate & Earth Center, has been appointed as a Lead Author for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Seventh Assessment Report (AR7, 2025–2029) on climate change mitigation.

Fernando Díaz López’s expertise in decarbonization, circularity, and eco-innovation will contribute to shaping global climate action ahead of the 2028 Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement. His nomination comes after a highly competitive selection process: among 3,771 global nominees, only 664 experts were appointed, and just 15 chosen for Chapter 10 on Industry. read more

A dual Mexican-Dutch national, Fernando has spent over 25 years conducting research on transformative climate resilience, leading numerous scientific projects funded by the European Commission and the UN Environment Programme. He is also an Extraordinary Associate Professor at Stellenbosch University’s Department of Industrial Engineering and an honorary research fellow at Universidad de Alcalá.

“The scientific work of the IPCC is fundamental for international climate policy, at a time where solutions need to be implemented at scale – especially across carbon-intensive sectors. I’m deeply honoured to join this collective effort, and look forward to working with colleagues worldwide at this pivotal time for climate action, with the strictest ethical and scientific integrity.”
— Fernando J. Díaz López, Ph.D., Director, Climate & Earth Center, HEC Paris

The Industry Chapter of Working Group III, to which Fernando will contribute, addresses mitigation options for emission-intensive sectors, including green innovations, material efficiency, circularity, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and infrastructure transitions — themes central to his research.

“This appointment reflects HEC Paris’ scientific excellence and our commitment to climate science. It also represents a unique opportunity for management scholars to contribute knowledge that will be rigorously and impartially assessed by the IPCC, helping policymakers navigate the complex challenges and opportunities of climate change and business action.”
— Éloïc Peyrache, Dean of HEC Paris

The IPCC’s Seventh Assessment Report will play a critical role in informing the second Global Stocktake in 2028, a defining moment for nations to demonstrate progress and raise their climate ambitions under the Paris Agreement.

Read more about Fernando's mission at HEC Paris