Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy

Ernesto Herrera-Guerra holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Iberoamericana, a Master’s in Environmental Management from the University of Waikato in New Zealand, and a diploma in Fundraising from Indiana University.

He began his professional career in the 1990s, working in both the public sector—at the Ministry of Communications and Transportation—and in the private sector, collaborating with companies in the plastic injection, refrigeration, and food industries. He later joined Grupo Bimbo’s Ecology Department, focusing on corporate environmental responsibility.

Since 2002, he has served as Executive Director of Reforestamos México, A.C., a civil society organization dedicated to promoting forest sustainability, environmental governance, and multi-sector alliances. Under his leadership, Reforestamos received the National Forestry Merit Award in 2009 and the Nature Conservation Recognition in 2018.

With over two decades of experience in environmental advocacy, Ernesto has played key roles within the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), of which Reforestamos has been a member since 2008. He served as Chair of the IUCN National Committee of Mexico (2015–2018) and Chair of the Regional Committee for Mesoamerica (2019–2024). He has also participated actively in the IUCN Global Group to strengthen National and Regional Committees, where he contributed to establishing a task force to promote safe civic space and environmental participation. He co-founded IUCN’s Spanish-speaking forum ABCÑ, which fosters open dialogue among members and commission experts around the Union’s mission and work.

Ernesto serves on the boards and advisory councils of several civil society organizations focused on trees, sustainable natural resource management, and digital transformation in Mexico. He is a member of the BMW Foundation’s global Responsible Leaders network and was recognized by Forbes México in 2023 as one of the country’s “30 Sustainable Minds.”

His work is deeply rooted in fostering multi-sectoral alliances in Mexico and Latin America to strengthen transparency, legality, responsibility, and sustainability in land governance, as well as in the sustainable use of forest and fishery resources.

Beyond his professional life, Ernesto enjoys spending time with his family, practicing nature photography, walking in forests, cycling, swimming, diving, and exploring mezcal culture—activities that nurture his balance and connection with nature.