As Co-Chair of the Sustainable Energy Initiative (SEI) and Director of the International Renewable Energy Academy (IREA), Professor Jose Etcheverry is focused on developing practical policy solutions to climate change through collaborative efforts with various partners and stakeholders. He is part of York University’s Board of Governors and the Senate where he is working with colleagues towards achieving a carbon-free university that can provide a world-class location for learning-by- doing on how to solve the climate change emergency declared by the Canadian Federal Government.
Professor Etcheverry is also part of a group that is working on developing the International Renewable Energy Agency's Learning Partnership (IRELP) aimed at creating a network of educational resources on renewable energy. The network is expected to contribute to the success of Natural Resources Canada’s RETScreen International Training Institute towards analyzing the potential for sustainable energy at York University. He is also a member of the World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE), a globally operating independent organization that develops and promotes policies at various institutional levels towards the use of solar energy, wind energy, biomass energy, geothermal energy, hydro energy, hydrogen energy, and all forms of natural and renewable forms of energy.
As Director of IREA, Professor Etcheverry’s plans to expand its three solar labs at York University and to develop new locations internationally that will provide new experiential learning for students and research opportunities focused on electric mobility, storage, renewable energy as well as leadership strategies to citizens of the 200 countries that want to solve climate change. Notably, the IREA was formed at York University to meet the rapidly growing need to develop a group of leaders focused on the principles of achieving 100% renewable energy through a strong community focus that emphasizes experiential learning and constant innovation.
In Canada, Professor Etcheverry has served as president and board member of the Canadian Renewable Energy Alliance (CANREA), an alliance of Canadian civil society organizations from the non-profit or voluntary sector that hold a common interest in promoting a global transition to energy conservation and efficiency and use of low-impact renewable energy. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Windfall Ecology Center (WEC), a non-profit community-based environmental organization that aims to build sustainable communities by conserving resources, preventing pollution, and protecting and enhancing natural ecological processes.
Professor Etcheverry has worked for the climate change team of the Global Environment Facility in Washington, DC and was an intern for the Mexican Electricity Research Institute. In addition, his ongoing work focuses on developing the work on carbon pricing markets started by the CLPC during its meeting in New Delhi and on creating new research opportunities to advance our international work on achieving 100% renewable energy and new efforts to achieve carbon-free campuses.
“The world needs a new ecosystem of innovation and experiential learning focused on implementing climate change solutions at all educational levels –and in as many countries as possible. My work is focused on addressing the climate change crisis by developing – locally and internationally — an ecosystem of innovation focused on providing new practical opportunities for those interested in designing and implementing paradigm-shifting climate change solutions,” he elaborates.