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FELIPE CALDERÓN

Former President of Mexico (2006 – 2012), a leading authority on sustainable development

Felipe Calderon served as President of Mexico from 2006 to 2012.

President Calderón studied law at the Escuela Libre de Derecho, a Masters in Economics from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) and a Masters’ in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he later was named an Angelopoulos Leadership Fellow.

President Calderón was the first Latin-American and second developing country president chairing the G20 Leaders’ Summit. He also chaired the UN COP 16 Climate Change Conference, which marked a new era of cooperation and set a long-term approach for addressing climate change.

Under his administration the Mexican economy registered stability and economic growth. Despite the impact of the 2009 international economic crisis, he boosted competitiveness in Mexico by deregulating the economy, promoting free trade, competition, private investment and technical education, as well as increasing investment in infrastructure to unprecedented levels. He also led an unmatched effort to enforce the rule of law.

He has been named “Statesman of the Year” by the World Economic Forum, and “Champion of the Earth” by the United Nations.

He is the Honorary Chairman of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, in such capacity, he led the “New Climate Economy” Project. Currently, he serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the World Resources Institute, member the Transatlantic Commission on Electoral Integrity and President of the Environment and Sustainability Commission of FIA.

President Calderón is the founder and President of the Human Sustainable Development Foundation in which he is still working in analyzing and proposing public policy alternatives for Mexico, as well as in promoting low-carbon development for the world.

Climate Change and Sustainable Development.
Energy
Political and Economic Outlook
Mexico and Latin America
Leadership

Creating Economic Opportunities by Improving the Climate

Climate change has become one of the greatest threats to future development. Despite the scientific evidence on the relationship between carbon emissions from human activities and increasing climate risk, the world is not taking enough action to mitigate those risks. This is to a large extent due to the false belief that taking the necessary actions represents an enormous economic cost to governments and businesses.

As President of the World Commission on the Economy and Climate and as one of the most recognized leaders in the field worldwide, Felipe Calderon provides a new vision for addressing climate change while generating economic growth and alleviating poverty.

What is Happening in Latin America?

After an outstanding decade for Latin America in economic terms, today multiple questions about the immediate and long-term future of the subcontinent have arisen. With the clear macroeconomic thinking and leadership experience that allowed him to successfully lead Mexico through the 2009 global economic crisis, Felipe Calderon offers a rich retrospective of what happened in Latin America the past decade. Furthermore, by contrasting the region’s main growth models, he presents an illuminating overview of the opportunities and challenges facing Latin America in the XXI century.

Crisis and competitiveness Crisis and Competitiveness: The Case of Mexico

Due to the strong linkage of its exports to the US consumer, Mexico was the country that suffered the most from the impact of the 2009 financial crisis. President Calderon explains how he led the rapid recovery of Mexico since the economic crisis of 2009 and simultaneously improved the country’s competitiveness through market-oriented policies, deregulation, technological education and infrastructure investment, which reached unprecedented levels. He also put in place a firm strategy to fight organized crime and establish the rule of law. The expression "The Moment of Mexico" was coined at the end of his administration, when Mexico became one of the most competitive manufacturing economies and one of the largest exporters in the world.