Explore our knowledge

Maria Figueroa

Associate Professor

Subjects
Sustainability Green transition Climate Environment Social responsibility Global goals

Primary research areas

Just Cli­mate Trans­itions, Re­si­li­ent Busi­ness and De­vel­op­ment
In­ter­dis­cip­lin­ary re­search cli­mate just in­ter­ven­tions to meet mit­ig­a­tion and ad­apt­a­tion goals, fo­cus on busi­ness in­nov­a­tions on urb­an ser­vices, en­ergy, mo­bil­ity, and di­git­al in­nov­a­tion. Ex­amin­ing sys­tem-wide en­a­blers and bar­ri­ers for scal­ing up re­si­li­ent, equit­able and sus­tain­able trans­itions.
En­ergy Sys­tems In­nov­a­tion and Just Trans­ition gov­ernance
Ana­lys­is of up­take of low-car­bon en­ergy tech­no­lo­gies, smart in­fra­struc­ture, and green busi­ness mod­els. Ex­plores so­cio-tech­nic­al dy­nam­ics, gov­ernance, and im­ple­ment­a­tion chal­lenges in achiev­ing just and sus­tain­able en­ergy trans­itions.
In­ter­na­tion­al Cli­mate Gov­ernance and As­sess­ment
Con­tri­bu­tions to in­ter­na­tion­al cli­mate sci­ence through IPCC and glob­al as­sess­ments. Fo­cus on com­par­at­ive policy ana­lys­is, sustain­ability met­rics, and sci­ence-policy in­ter­faces shap­ing path­ways to cli­mate-re­si­li­ent de­vel­op­ment.

I bridge sci­ence & policy for just, re­si­li­ent cli­mate ac­tion

I research how cities, business, institutions, and communities can lead the way in tackling climate change through fair, inclusive, and science-based solutions. My work focuses on identifying pathways for energy system’s just transitions, circular economy, and sustainable development. 

I help advancing climate-resilient transitions by identifying barriers and enablers for low-carbon innovation—such as clean energy, smart mobility, and green business models—I contribute to national and international climate assessments like the IPCC Assessment reports. 

My research supports policymakers, companies, and civil society in making informed decisions that address both environmental challenges and social equity. I believe that climate action must be systemic, inclusive, and grounded in real-world solutions. 

At CBS, I collaborate across disciplines and borders to co-create knowledge that accelerates sustainability transitions at local, national, and global scales. 

Outside activities

Review Editor, IPCC AR7, 2023–present

As Re­view Ed­it­or, I will sup­port the IPCC’s com­mit­ment to sci­entif­ic in­teg­rity by en­sur­ing that ex­pert and gov­ern­ment com­ments are thor­oughly ad­dressed, and that di­verse sci­entif­ic per­spect­ives—in­clud­ing points of dis­agree­ment—are fairly re­flec­ted in the fi­nal re­port.
Read more

Lead Author, IPCC AR6, WGIII , 2018–2023

Lead Au­thor for chapter on mit­ig­a­tion in IPCC’s 6th As­sess­ment Re­port
Read more

UN-Habitat Cities & Climate Report Advisory Board, 2022–2024

Served on ex­pert ad­vis­ory board for UN-Hab­it­at’s 2024 cli­mate re­port.

This Re­port showed how cli­mate ac­tion can bring an ar­ray of be­ne­fits to cit­ies and res­id­ents, from poverty re­duc­tion, em­ploy­ment, re­si­li­ent in­fra­struc­ture, im­proved pub­lic health and well-be­ing to the res­tor­a­tion of fra­gile eco­sys­tems.
Read more

EU-AU High-Level Commission on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy, 2021–present

Serve as ex­pert mem­ber in this High-Level Policy Dia­logue Africa-EU AU-EU R&I Part­ner­ship on Cli­mate Change and Sus­tain­able En­ergy of the AU-EU High Level Policy Dia­logue on Sci­ence and In­nov­a­tion
Read more

Leadership Council Sustainable Development Solutions Network SDSN Northern Europe Leadership Council , 2020–present

Read more

Associate Editor Journal Frontiers in Climate Change , 2024–present

Read more