Antonio Arce Romero
Antonio is a PlanAdapt Fellow based in Brussels, Belgium.
He currently works on the intersections of climate mitigation and adaptation in the urban sphere. He is passionate about promoting transformative climate action, particularly for vulnerable populations. As a Climate Action Specialist at Futureproofed, he researches impactful climate solutions that help cities execute their climate action plans and create resilient environments for their citizens. Next to that, he acts as expert editor for the theme “Cities and climate change” at weADAPT, a community of practice fostering climate adaptation knowledge.
His interests lie in using data to support the implementation of adaptation and mitigation solutions at scale. Using climate services tailored to relevant audiences and co-creating solutions to climatic challenges is a process that Antonio enjoys following. Additionally, he’s interested in the justice dimension applicable to interventions, currently trying to learn the best practices to promote justice along climate mitigation and adaptation projects. He believes in the power of combining disciplines and backgrounds to find the best solutions and implement them at scale.
Previously, Antonio supported the development of a technical publication on Ecosystem-based Adaptation and climate justice, acting as an IUCN fellow and collaborating with Plan Adapt and other colleagues from the FEBA Urban EbA Working Group. The report has been presented and discussed in essential forums such as the Urban October 2021.
He acted as an expert consultant in a project aimed at understanding climate change’s impact on country-wide Mexican crop yields and possible adaptation options. The project, granted by UNDP and implemented in collaboration with INECC, produced a technical report and conducted multiple capacity-building activities and training for governmental officials.
Antonio holds an MSc degree in Climate Studies from the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands. He majored in Water Systems and Global Change and his thesis focused on identifying adaptation turning points for entrepreneurial coffee farmers in Mexico. In parallel, he obtained the Climate-KIC master label, which promotes entrepreneurship among selected members to tackle climate mitigation and adaptation challenges. Having a BSc in Natural Resources Management allowed him to understand interconnections between the global biophysical systems and be aware of their relations with the human dimension.
Antonio contributed to PlanAdapt’s work in the following projects and initiatives:
For more info, see Antonio’s LinkedIn page.