Michelle Ramírez
GEOLAC Chairperson
Geothermal Consultant
Michelle Ramírez is a consultant specializing in climate finance, decarbonization, and geothermal energy. She has over fourteen years of experience working with governments across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, as well as international and bilateral cooperation agencies and multilateral development banks, on the design and implementation of financing programs, public policies, and regulatory frameworks for the energy transition and climate action, with a particular focus on geothermal energy and the decarbonization of heavy industry. She has mobilized more than USD 98.5 million in international climate finance for geothermal energy infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean, in coordination with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), and national governments. More recently, she coordinated the update of Mexico’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) for UNDP, a process recognized internationally as one of the most comprehensive and ambitious climate policy exercises, noted for its technical robustness and alignment with national priorities and international commitments.
She was the first Director of Geothermal Energy at Mexico’s Ministry of Energy, where her work helped attract more than USD 565 million in investment for geothermal power projects. She later led the Global Geothermal Alliance at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), increasing its membership from 46 to 52 countries and its partners from 42 to 56 within her first year. Michelle holds a law degree from Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico, a postgraduate diploma in Climate Finance, and an MBA from the Berlin School of Economics and Law (Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin). She has also completed executive education programs in human rights, gender and law, and energy law. On a personal level, she is firmly committed to gender equality. She serves as Mexico’s Country Ambassador for Women in Geothermal (WING).