Ernesto Herrera

Ernesto Herrera is a Mexican environmental and sustainability leader based in Mexico City, with more than 25 years of experience advancing forest conservation, ecosystem restoration, sustainable forest management, and collaborative approaches to nature conservation.

He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico, a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from the University of Waikato in New Zealand, and a Diploma in Fundraising from Indiana University.

From 2002 to 2026, Ernesto served as Executive Director of Reforestamos México, a civil society organization dedicated to forest conservation and restoration, sustainable forest management, urban forestry, and citizen engagement. Under his leadership, Reforestamos built partnerships with communities, governments, businesses, and civil society organizations to strengthen the environmental, social, and economic value of forests and trees. The organization received several national recognitions, including Mexico’s National Forestry Merit Award in 2009 and the Ecological Merit Award for Nature Conservation in 2018.

Ernesto has also held several leadership roles within the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). He served as Chair of the IUCN Mexican National Committee from 2015 to 2018 and Chair of the IUCN Regional Committee for Mesoamerica from 2019 to 2024. He currently serves as an IUCN Councillor and Chair of the IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP), a global network of more than 1,600 experts working at the intersection of nature conservation, governance, economics, equity, and public policy.

Ernesto serves on the boards and advisory bodies of organizations including the Arbor Day Foundation, Causa Natura, and Centro México Digital. He is also a member of the BMW Foundation Responsible Leaders Network and was recognized by Forbes México as one of its “30 Sustainable Minds” in 2023.

His professional interests focus on building bridges among governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, academia, and the private sector to mobilize knowledge, collaboration, and investment for forest conservation, ecosystem restoration, urban forestry, and sustainable development.