Javier E. Otero Peña
Phd, MSc, MPhil
javier [at] javo01.com
+34 613 087 888
Barcelona, Spain
01About
I’m a researcher and sustainability consultant based in Barcelona. I hold a PhD in Environmental Psychology from the City University of New York, where I spent years studying how people relate to public spaces, working at the intersection of public health, urban environmental justice, and digital humanities. I am a versatile jack-of-all-trades and have led climate and energy policy efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean, working for the Clean Lighting Coalition and the United Nations Environment Programme. I have taught courses in sustainability and GIS, and I speak fluently Spanish, English, and French.
02Experience
Universitat Internacional de Catalunya • Barcelona, Spain • 2025 — present
Postdoctoral Researcher
Leading research on societal resilience.
Clean Lighting Coalition • Washington DC, USA • 2021 — 2023
Regional Lead, GRULAC Region
Contributed to reaching global agreement to phase-out of fluorescent lamps by 2027, in the framework of the UN Minamata Convention on Mercury.
United Nations Environment Programme • Paris, France, and Bogota, Colombia • 2011 — 2015
Energy and Climate Consultant
Acted as liaison of the UNEP en.lighten initiative for the Americas and the Caribbean. Conducted research and wrote report on the involvement and preparedness of territorial entities in applications to the Green Climate Fund. Supported partner countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region in drafting and submitting PIF for applying to GEF funds under the STAR allocation protocol.
03Education
City University of New York • NYC, USA • 2024
PhD in Environmental Psychology
Institut Catholique de Paris • Paris, France • 2012
Master in Environmental Policies and Sustainable Development