Mena is a Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso and the former Environment Minister for Chile under the Michelle Bachelet government (2014 to 2018). As minister, he spearheaded multiple international environmental initiatives including helping craft a landmark agreement to phase out coal power generation, South America’s first carbon taxes for power generation and new car sales, creating 45,000 square kilometers of national parks, and protecting 1.3 million square kilometers of ocean. Previously, he was Practice Manager at the World Bank, where he led the team that created the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action.
Mena is a biochemical engineer who holds MS and Ph.D. degrees in Environmental Engineering from The University of Iowa, focusing his research on estimating the externalities of biofuels, power generation, transportation, and residential heating. He used his research to advocate for renewable energy and push for more stringent regulations to stop dirty coal power generation in Chile. He has received awards from UNEP, National Geographic, Oceans Unite, NASA and the EPA, as well as fellowships from MIT and the Fulbright Commission.