Felipe Calderón

Former President of Mexico; Chair, Global Commission on the Economy and Climate

Bio

Felipe Calderón was President of Mexico from 2006 to 2012. During his presidency he prioritized the rule of law and public security; a competitive and job-creating economy; equal opportunities; sustainable development; effective democracy; and a responsible foreign policy. Among other achievement his government pushed through structural reforms to modernize the Mexican economy in key areas, such as public pensions, tax, the energy sector and universal healthcare. It also put in place the most ambitious infrastructure program in Mexican history, raising annual investment from 3 percent to 5 percent of GDP a year. During his period in office Mexico positioned itself as a global leader in fighting climate change: President Calderon presided over the successful UN climate conference in Cancun in 2010 and saw the passing of a comprehensive Climate Change Act in 2012.

Prior to becoming President Felipe Calderón served as Secretary of Energy, and General Director of BANOBRAS (the public works and infrastructure bank). He was elected to the Federal Congress in 1991, becoming Secretary-General of the PAN (National Action Party), President and Leader of the Parliamentary Group. He was earlier a Representative in the Assembly of Mexico City (1988-91).

Felipe Calderón is Chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, as well as current Honorary Chairman of the Green Growth Action Alliance; President of the Sustainable Human Development Foundation; and a Member of the Board of Directors of the World Resources Institute.

Felipe Calderón has a Bachelor’s degree in law, a Masters in Economics from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México; and a Masters in Public Administration from the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Blog Posts

The Restoration Revolution
by Felipe Calderón - April 21, 2017
There are 2 billion hectares of degraded land around the globe. Restoring it could not only put food on the table, it could create hundreds of thousands of jobs.
How to Finance a New Climate Economy
by Felipe Calderón - July 06, 2016
Making our infrastructure cleaner and more sustainable could add as little as 5 percent to upfront costs, which could be fully offset by lower operating costs. WRI Board member and former President of Mexico Felipe Calderón reveals four ways to unlock capital for low-carbon infrastructure.
Opportunities in New Climate Economy
by Felipe Calderón and Andrew Steer - November 25, 2014
With China at an economic and environmental crossroad, ongoing cooperation on climate and clean energy with the U.S. can yield significant social and economic rewards for both countries. The benefits of this course can and must go together to tackle climate change and create vibrant economies for the 21st century.
The New Climate Economics
by Felipe Calderón - September 26, 2013
This post was written by Lord Nicholas Stern, president of the British Academy, and Felipe Calderón, former president of Mexico and a WRI Board member. It originally appeared on Project Syndicate.

This Friday, in its latest comprehensive assessment of the evidence on global warming, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will show that the world’s climate scientists are more certain than ever that human activity – largely combustion of fossil fuels – is causing temperatures and sea levels to rise.

In recent years, a series of extreme weather events – including Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey, floods in China, and droughts in the American Midwest, Russia, and many developing countries – have caused immense damage. Last week, Mexico experienced simultaneous hurricanes in the Pacific and in the Gulf of Mexico that devastated towns and cities in their path. Climate change will be a major driver of such events, and we risk much worse.

This puts a new debate center stage: how to reconcile increased action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with strong economic growth.

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