Marcelo Andres Mena Carrasco

Activist, Change Agent, Engineer, Environmentalist, Parent, Policy maker, Public servant, Scientist

Biochemical engineer, MS, and Ph.D. in environmental engineering, at the University of Iowa, Postdoctoral fellow at MIT EAPS. Currently a professor at PUCV, and formerly practice manager and climate change advisor to the Office of the CEO of the World Bank. He served on served as Minister and Vice Minister for the Environment in Chile from 2014 to 2018. He also served as Co-Chair for the Climate and Clean Air Coalition from 2015-2017. Marcelo is the recipient of awards from NASA, EPA, UNEP, Oceans Unite, and National Geographic Society for his work on promoting renewable energy, air pollution control, carbon taxation, and the creation of more than 1.3 million km2 of marine protected areas, and 45,000 km2 of national parks in Patagonia. His favorite accomplishments are the enactment of the first national plastic bag band in the Americas, the first carbon tax on power generation in South America, and the first tax pollution tax on new car sales in the Americas. As an air pollution scientist turned minister of the environment he developed air quality forecasting models to take measures to prevent pollution in 10 cities in Chile that reduced air quality episodes in 40 to 70%, and emergency room visits due to respiratory crisis in 50% between 2013 and 2017. Marcelo helped create the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action at the World Bank which has adopted the Helsinki Principles to promote climate action. This coalition has 53 members that manage 10% of the global GDP in their national budgets. These ministers have committed to mainstream climate change in public spending, infrastructure, and to promote climate action in the financial sectors through regulation. Marcelo is currently the CEO of the Global Methane Hub, a funder collaborative focusing on methane mitigation in the energy and food systems. Since operations started in 2022, the GMH has delivered over 100 million dollars in funding to governments, NGOs.

environmental protection, air pollution, climate change, methane mitigation, low emissions transportation, leading by example, and cycling.

I believe that climate action will always have opposition from interest groups, that governments will always be permeable to them. I believe the most effective way to move towards climate action is the correct incorporation of externalities in price signals. For mitigation, regulation that has reduced pollution of fossil fuel generation, has allowed leveling the playing field. Carbon taxes have further corrected market distorsions. On adaptation pricing climate risk and rewarding resilience will provide an economic basis for increased adaptation finance. Climate related disclosures in financial markets can mobilize more funding towards climate action than development related climate finance, and really mobilize billions to trillions towards climate action. In the case of Chile, my country, we proved that we can have a for-profit model that can increase renewable energy spending substantially, and without subsidies. Correct regulations like emission standards, carbon taxes, and energy action reform have spurred an energy revolution that has started in power generation and has expanded to electromobility. There is a country-wide consensus that net-zero emissions and 100% renewable energy is achievable, and convenient for the country, spurring more investment and growth. Increased demand for minerals for climate action will put pressure on the mining sector to reduce emissions but this may support hydrogen production to be used in transportation and industry. In sum, I believe that if we make the case for climate action, making the costs of inaction visible, we can cut across pressure from incumbents and allow climate action to occur despite ideology. When Ban Ki-Moon closed the COP21 when the Paris Agreement was adopted he said: What we once thought was impossible, today is inevitable. I believe that if we regulate and price pollution and risk right, climate action and a 1.5 degree pathways will be easier to achieve.

air pollution, carbon pricing, cargo bikes, climate adaptation, climate change, climate finance, land conservation, ocean conservation, recycling, renewable energy, waste management, water treatment

I am an environmentalist turned scientist and then an activist minister of the environment. I got my Ph.D. tracking air pollution globally through NASA aircraft measurement campaigns, where I developed air quality forecasting models. My research focused on estimating the externalities biofuels, power generation, transportation, and residential heating. I applied this research to push for more stringent regulations and to stop dirty coal power generation in Chile. I became a renewable energy advocate, implementing the first residential and commercial solar projects in Central Chile. I was named vice-minister and minister of the environment under President Michelle Bachelet. I was able to apply my research to design taxes on new car sales and power generation based on local and global air pollution, which were the first of their kind globally. With my colleagues in the ministry of energy, we spearheaded a landmark agreement to phase out coal power generation in Chile and targets on electromobility. Under the leadership of the president, we worked with NGOs such as Tompkins Conservation, Oceana, Pew, National Geographic, and Wildlife Conservation Society, I led the largest conservation effort in Latin American history, resulting in 9 million acres of new national parks, and 1.3 million km2 of ocean conservation, and to make it relevant to people, we introduced the first national plastic bag ban in the Americas. This work resulted in global awards from UN Environment and National Geographic. I gained notoriety when the ministers of economy and finance resigned when we pulled the plug on a 2.5 billion dollar iron mine that was going to be installed near a nature reserve where the Humboldt penguins lived. While it was a decisive victory for the environmental movement and was convinced that for long term goals, we need to work with the ministries of finance to get them on board for climate action. During my time at the World Bank, I led the creation of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action, which today congregates 53 ministers that manage 2.9 trillion dollars a year in national budgets, 10% of global GDP. This approach to getting ministers of finance on board to climate action, helping them see the threat to future growth, and the opportunities that the new climate economy brings, can really mobilize billions to trillions. In my return to Chile, I hope to make a low emission, resilient, and inclusive transition so we may implement the proposed net-zero emissions target Chile set for 2050. I hope to continue to lead by example, biking to work, living in a 100% renewable energy home that also powers my electric car. Being net-zero emissions begins at home. We are credible only when we walk the talk, and put our money where the climate needs.

I used to host radio shows inviting poets, writers, and local celebrities to bring their music. I interviewed dozens of artists, and reviewed over 500 records a year to put on rotation of KRUI's Sound Alternative at the University of Iowa. My cousin is pop star Javiera Mena, who has played at Coachella, Primavera Sound, Primavera Fauna, Lollapalooza, Festival de Viña and Vive Latino.