Maria Jose Sanz

Scientific Director
Basque Center for Climate Change

PhD in Ecophysiology, University of Valencia. Valencia, Spain (1991). Postdoctoral stay and Faculty Teaching Adjunct and EPA fellow at Arizona State University (1991-1992). She was: Coordinator of the Air Pollution Effects and Carbon Cycle Program at the Center for Mediterranean Studies (CEAM) from 1993 to 2006; Senior Programme Officer and Team Leader, Sectoral Issues Unit of the Methods, Data and Analysis Programme, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat (2007-2010) supporting KP LULUCF, REDD+ and Agriculture negotiations; Scientific Director of the Research Institute on Climate Change Zaragoza (I2C2) (2011); Coordinator of the UN REDD Programme MRV team at the Forestry Department in FAO (2011-2015); at present Scientific Director of the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) and Ikerbasque Professor. Lead Author of the IPCC 5ARs (Volume III); Review Editor of the IPCC SR Climate Change and Land; Lead Author of the 2003 IPCC GPG, the 2006 IPCC GL and the 2014 IPCC Kyoto Supplement, Review Editor of the IPCC 2014 Wetland Supplement, and Coordinating Lead Author for the IPCC 2019 Refinement of the 2006 GL for GHG Inventories. Member of the Emission Factor Data Base of the IPCC Task Force GHG Inventories (2006-2007, 2016-present). As a contributor to IPCC got the Noble Prize for Peace in 2007. In 2019 got the Scientific Merit Distinction from the Valencian Community. In 2007 was a member of the UNFCCC CDM Executive Board (representing the EU) and Vice-Chair of the Working Group on Afforestation and Reforestation (A/R WG). Currently, he is the Chair of the Advisory Group of the MDG of the Global Forest Observation Initiative (GFOI) and co-Chair of the Transdisciplinary Advisory Board of the EU Joint Program Initiative (JPI) on Climate. Advises the Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition on the Economic impacts assessment of the 2030 Integrate Energy and Climate Change Plan and the 2050 Climate Change LTS. Also worked with the Green Climate Fund, FAO, and UNFCCC Secretariat on scientific-technical matters. Has more than 300 publications, mainly in the areas of air pollution and climate change: more than 100 in indexed journals; 40 scientific papers in journals not included in the SCI; more than 150 conference papers and proceedings; 23 book chapters; 10 books; 36 technical papers. Areas of expertise: Ecophysiology. Air pollution affects lower and higher plants. Atmospheric dynamics and chemistry. Nitrogen and carbon cycles. Greenhouse Gases and other related gases. Agriculture, LULUCF and REDD+. Climate change, scientific bases, multilateral processes, policies and measures. Policy and regulatory frameworks related to air pollution.