Irene Cañas Díaz

Position: Advisor
Location: Costa Rica, San José

Passionate and committed to sustainable development, I am a civil engineer graduated from the University of Costa Rica. During my 28 years of experience in the energy sector and have dedicated myself to the promotion of sustainable and low emissions electricity generation initiatives.

I began my professional career at the Costa Rican Electricity Institute in hydroelectric project budgets and later joined the Electrical Planning team where I contributed to feasibility studies of hydroelectric plants and other renewable sources.

I coordinated he regional project 4E Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency of GIZ in Costa Rica and Panama, where I promoted the development of capacities in the public and private sectors on energy-related issues.

I served as vice minister of environmental management and energy of the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica where I oversaw the issuing environmental policies on environmental protection, management and sustainable use of natural resources and promoting the use of renewable energy sources.

I was executive president of Grupo ICE, a public electricity and telecommunications company in Costa Rica, where I led the Group’s transformation process, driving a cultural metamorphosis for the organization’s quick adaptation to the challenges faced by the energy and telecommunications sectors.

As a partner at Boreal International Consulting firm, I led training processes in Latin America on energy transition.

I currently work at GIZ on the E-Motion Panama project, supporting the transition to electric mobility.