Luis Alberto Fierro

Economic, social and environmental development specialist, focused on climate finance, and in expanding educational opportunities for all.

Versión en español - Publications

Luis Alberto Fierro is a specialist in economic, social and environmental development in Latin America and the Caribbean. He is a consultant on climate finance, project finance, sustainable development, low-emission development strategies, and related fields.

Currently, he is an international expert in support of the development of the sustainable/green finance taxonomy of Peru.

Previously, he was a Green Economic Policies Expert for the EU NDC Support Facility, which provides assistance to developing countries in formulating and implementing their climate action plans.

Between May and September 2021, he was the Vice Minister for Economy of the Republic of Ecuador, in charge of providing strategic direction for the formulation and implementation of economic policies. Participated in second and third review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of the IMF. Led the negotiation to establish the policy matrix for budget support loans from World Bank, CAF and IDB. Promoted the reduction of fossil fuel subsidies, as well as plans to promote renewable energy and electric mobility. Member of the Board of Directors of the public banks BanEcuador, Corporación Financiera Nacional (CFN) and COSEDE.

Previously, he was a Climate Finance Expert for the Euroclima+ Programme, through the French Development Agency (AFD).

Before that, he was a Program Manager for Activities with Economic and Business Partners at the EU-LAC Foundation, working on sustainable development, climate change, trade and SMEs (http://www.eulacfoundation.org).

In 2014-16, he was the Climate Change Finance Adviser to the Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC, http://ailac.org/) during the negotiations of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Before that, he was the Director of Programs and Resource Mobilization at Grupo FARO, the premier think tank on public policies in Ecuador (www.grupofaro.org).

From 1997 to 2013, he held several high level positions at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), including Resource Mobilization Lead Specialist at the Office in Europe; Coordinator of the Programming and Private Sector Section of the Office of the Secretary; and Senior Program Coordinator at the Sustainable Development Department. The IDB promotes projects, programs, policies and strategies for development in Latin America and the Caribbean. He participated in drafting the sector strategies for the priority areas of the IDB, including Sustainable Economic Growth; Reduction of Poverty and Promotion of Social Equity; Modernization of the State; Environment; Social Development; Regional Integration; and Competitiveness.

In 2006, he was the representative of the Government of Ecuador at the Board of Executive Directors of the International Monetary Fund.

Previously, he was the Economic and Business Editor at Diario Hoy (a national daily newspaper in Ecuador); and an economic and social researcher for various institutions, including the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE), the Latin American Social Research Institution (ILDIS), and the National Council of Universities and Polytechnic Schools of Ecuador (CONUEP).

He holds an Economist degree from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, and graduate degrees in Economic Development, International Economics, Public Finance and Environmental Economics from the University of Oregon and the University of Texas at Austin.

He also holds graduate level certificates on climate finance from the World Bank; on development program monitoring and evaluation from the International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET); and on Management for Development Results from the Inter-American Institute for Social Development (INDES).

Luis Fierro has written, contributed to, edited and translated numerous books, academic essays and articles. A partial list of publications is available here. He has also written fiction, including the novel "The Last Human" (which deals with the existential threats to humanity) and short stories. He has contributed to national development plans in Ecuador, as well as coordinating the formulation of the program for the national political movement Concertacion.

Luis Fierro has been a volunteer for several programs dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for low-income and minority students, including: EcuadorMiPaís (an NGO that raises funds to promote the education of low-income children in Ecuador), "Alcanzando Metas" Foundation (which promotes educational access for Hispanic female youth), the Center for the Advancement of Hispanics in Science and Engineering Education (CAHSEE), the Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee of the Fairfax County School Board (MSAOC), and the PTSA Diversity Committee of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

He also supported the Pascuales Community Center developed by Children of Guayaquil; the "Casa Victoria" educational project in Quito, Ecuador; the youth symphonic orchestras organized by the Fundación Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil del Ecuador (FOSJE); and the Friends of the World Food Programme (WFP).

He portrayed the role of "Jorge" in the play "Esperando la Carroza", presented by the IDB Theater Club.

His parents are Gustavo Fierro (Ph.D. in Linguistics, professor emeritus at Universidad San Francisco de Quito), and Fanny Carrión de Fierro (Doctorate in Literature, former professor at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador). His brother, Gustavo, is a medical doctor, specialized in internal medicine; and is an accomplished mountain climber, having published a book of photographs, Retorno a las Alturas. His sister is an ATA certified translator, owner of The Best Translations, and also holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Oregon.

Married to Vanessa Villanueva, who studied for a M.Sc. degree in Psychology. Two sons, Juan Fernando Fierro (B.A., University of Virginia) and Pablo Antonio Fierro (B.A. College of William and Mary, M.A. in English, Portland State University; currently a Ph.D. student in English and Graduate Student Assistant at Georgia State University). One granddaughter, Nelia Luna Fierro-Cuadrado.

Contact:

Yahoo/Gmail: luisfierro

Mastodon: https://mastodon.online/@Luis_Fierro

Twitter: @Luis_Fierro_Eco

Threads/Instagram: @Luis_Fierro_Eco

SubStack: https://luisfierro.substack.com/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/luisfierro

Blog: http://economicsandinvestment.blogspot.com/