Diana Ürge-Vorsatz

Rank: 
Professor

Contact information

Building: 
Vienna, Quellenstrasse 51
Room: 
D010

Employment Experience

  • Director, Center for Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Policy (3CSEP). 2007 -
  • Director of the PhD program, Dept. of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Central European University (CEU), 2002 – 2007
  • Acting Head of Department, Dept. of Environmental Sciences and Policy, CentralEuropeanUniversity (CEU), 2001 – 2002.
  • Full Professor, CEU, 2007 - present
  • Associate Professor,  CEU, 2001 – 2007
  • Research Assistant, Energy Forecasting Group, Energy and Environment Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). Fall 1994 -  1996.
  • Research Assistant, Heat Islands Project , UCLA and LBNL. Winter and Spring, 1994.
  • Instructor  and Lecturer, Dept. of Environmental Sciences and Policy, CEU.  Summer 1994.
  • Research Assistant, International Energy Studies, Energy and Environment Division, LBNL. Fall 1993.
  • Teaching Assistant, Summer Graduate Program in Environmental Science and Policy, CEU, 1993.
  • Teaching Assistant, UCLA Department of Physics, Spring Quarter 1993.
  • Teaching Assistant at the Department of Astronomy, Eötvös University, 1988-1990.
  • Assistant for  Bechtel Corporation at the Nuclear Power Plant in Paks, Hungary, Summer 1990.
  • Research Assistant at the Central Research Institute of Astrophysics, Potsdam, Germany. Summer, 1989. 

Honors, Awards, Fellowships

  • Selected as a member of the Delta Omega Honorary Society for outstanding public health professionals.
  • FULBRIGHT Fellowship, Academic Year 1993-94 and 1994-95.
  • Nominated for the Outstanding Graduate Student Award by the faculty of the Environmental Sciences and Engineering Doctorate Program at UCLA.
  • Fellowship of the Central European University for graduate studies in the USA, 1992-93;
  • Pro Renovanda Cultura Hungariae Award, 1991
  • EEC TEMPUS Scholarship, Academic Year 1990-91, Brunel University, UK
  • EEC PECO (Pays de l'Europe Centrale et Orientale) grant for organizing a workshop for East­ern Eu­rope on East-West environmental harmonisation, 1993-94.
  • The Brief Award, 1990, UK.

Membership in Governing and Advisory Bodies

  • Evaluator and Rapporteur, Horizon2020 call Water2b, May 2015.
  • Member of the Editorial Board, Annual Reviews for Environment and Resources, 2011 – 2015, 2016 – 2020.
  • European Research Council, Consolidator grants, Panel member, 2015.
  • Member of the Strategic Advisory Board, Austrian Climate- and Energy Fund. 2011 – 2015.
  • Member of the Hungarian Decarbonisation Roadmap Energy working group, 2012.
  • Evaluator, European Commission FP7, Environment, 2012-2013
  • Member of the Advisory Panel of the European Climate Foundation, 2009 –
  • Panel Member of the European Research Council for theEnvironment and society” theme, Starting Grants, 2009 – 2012.
  • Panel member, European Research Council for theEnvironment and society” theme, “ Consolidator” grants, 2013 -
  • Contributing to the work of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), 2009  - 2012
  • Member of the Strategic Advisory Board for the Framework Programme for Competitiveness and Innovation (CIP) of the European Commission, 2007 - 2013.
  • Member of the United Nations Foundation’s Expert Group on Energy Efficiency: “Bringing Energy Efficiency to Scale”. 2007, advising the G8 process.
  • Member of theUnited Nation’s Scientific Expert Group on Climate Change, co-sponsored by the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society.  2004 – 2007. 
  • Associate Editor, Journal of Energy Efficiency, Springer. 2006 -.
  • Member of the Advisory Board of the UK Energy Research Centre, 2005 – to date
  • Member of the Steering Committee of theREEEP program (Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership), Central European region, since 2005.
  • Invited to the Steering Committee of theEnergy Efficiency 21 Project of the UN ECE(United Nations Economic Commission for Europe), 2006 and 2007
  • Member of the Governing Board of the international NGO Collaborative Labelling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP), 2003 – present.
  •  Alternative member of the Board of Directors, European Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, ECEEE, 2003 – 2005, 2005 – 2007, 2007 – 2009.
  • Director of the PhD program, Fall 2002 – 2007.
  • Acting Head of Department, Academic Year 2001-2002.
  • Chair of the Evaluation Board for The “Best Environmental Report Award in Central and Eastern Europe”, funded by Deloitte, 2003-2006.  Member of the Evaluation Board, 2004 and 2001.
  • Regular evaluator of Fulbright and Humphrey Fellowship applications for the US, 1996 – 2003.
  • Chair of the Academic Travel Grants Committee, CEU, 1998 – 2006.
  • Four times reelected member of the Academic Senate of the CEU, 1998 - 2006.
  • Member of the Advisory Committee for the Hungarian Energy Efficiency Cofinancing Program  (HEECP) of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Global Environment Facility  (GEF), 2000 – 2004.

Grants Obtained and Funding Raised

  •  Global Best Practice Network for Buildings, EUR 150,000, for building a global building energy model, 2011-12.
  • International Energy Agency (IEA), EUR 27,500 for energy efficiency governance research, 2009 – 2010.
  • UNEP SBCI, EUR 15,000 for modeling energy-efficient building scenarios, 2009 – 2010.
  • National Development Agency of Hungary, HUF 5 million for background research for a Post-Lisbon Strategy of the EU in the area of climate and energy policy, 2009 – 2010.
  • Climate Strategies, EUR 28,300 for research on Green Investment Schemes, 2008.
  • EU FP7 program, Changing Behaviour. EUR 176,720, 2008 – 2010.
  • Australian Government, EUR 6,000 for standby power analysis of new domestic appliances, 2008.
  • Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Water, HUF 3 million for assessing CO2 mitigation potential in the Hungarian commercial sector, 2008 – 2010.
  • UNEP: USD 46,000 for evaluating energy efficiency policy instruments in buildings. 2007 - 2009.
  • EU FP6 program, Staccato. EUR 96,453.  2007 - 2012
  • Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Water, HUF 1.44 million for assessing CO2 mitigation potential in the Hungarian residential sector, 2007 - 2008.
  • General Electric, matching funding for the EC supported Enerlin project: EUR 22,121.
  • Energy Intelligent Europe, European Commission, 2006 - 2008:
  • Remodece, EUR 22,546.
  • EL-Tertiary, EUR 27,857.
  • Enerlin, EUR 22,121.
  • World Energy Council, subcontract from Ademe, for assessment of ESCOs worldwide.
  •  European Parliament: I won a restricted tender for assessing “The impact of structural changes in the energy sector of CEE countries on the creation of a sustainable energy path”, Euro 34,980.
  • Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Water, HUF 2 million, for long-term assessment of climate change strategy of Hungary.
  • EU Altener: 47,900 Euros for project “4CElectricity”, coordinated by OxfordUniv.’s ECI
  • 4Celectricity projectmatched by $12,000 by the CEU Research Board, 2002.
  • CEU Research Board: $10,000 for research on the impact of electricity liberalisation on sustainability in CEE, jointly acquired with the Economics Department, 2001.
  • Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Water Management: 2 M HUF to study EU funding opportunities for remediation needs in Hungary
  • GEF/IFC/private sponsors: $17,000 for research understanding the market barriers in Hungarian municipal lighting energy efficiency
  • IFC/GEF:  $2,600 for pre-appraisal research on ELI project; $1850 for appraisal research for CEU student team.  Fall 1999.
  • IEA/ US DOE:  $5,000 for an invited review of CEE studies in GHG mitigation. 1999.
  • UNEP/GEF:  $9,000 for the CEU research team on the Hungary country study.  1997-98.
  • RegionalEnvironmentalCenter (REC): Media and Environment (MIS project).  $9600.  1999.
  • CEU Junior Faculty Research Support Scheme, $5000, for market transformation research, 1999.
  • Sponsorship of GE Lighting TUNGSRAM for Hungarian lighting research, app. $30,000, 1997.
  • International Energy Agency:  $4150 for CEE energy efficiency indicator data collection.  1997.
  • Joint research grant with PIK (Potsdam Institut fur Klimaforschung), Potsdam, app. DM 100,000, 1996.
  • Sponsorship of DHV Hungary for the “Media and Environment” conference, app. $3,000, May 1997.
  • Academic Meeting Fund, CEU, for the conference “Media and Environment”.  $3,000, May 1997.
  • Junior Faculty Research Support Scheme, CEU, $4,800, 1996.
  • Academic Travel Grant, several awards for conference participation, 1996 and 1997.
  • Grant from Prof. J. Sjoberg, Center for Risk Research, Stockholm, for risk perception work.  1996-97.
  • HESP (Higher Education Support Program) grant for lecturing in Russia and Yugoslavia, 1996.
  • EEC PECO (Pays de l'Europe Centrale et Orientale) grant for organizing a workshop for East­ern Eu­rope on East-West environmental harmonisation, 1993-94.
  • Grant of the Austrian Academy of Science for conference presentations, Sept. 1992.
  • SERC (Science and Engineering Research Council, UK) grant for measurements, 1992 and 1993

Membership in Professional Bodies

  • Honorary member of the Hungarian Passive House Association (PAOSZ)
  • European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
  • HungarianGreenBuilding Council
  • Society for Risk Analysis (until 2005)
  • International Solar Energy Society (until 2007)

Other Professional Activities and Academic Services

  • Evaluator and rapporteur, Horizon 2020 call “Water and Energy”, 2015
  • External PhD Examiner, University College London, 2015
  • Member of the Scientific Committee of the high-level conference, “Our Common Future under Climate Change”, 2015. http://www.commonfuture-paris2015.org/   
  • Member, high-level panel to evaluate the activities of the EU Joint Research Centre's in FP7, 2014
  • Member of Director’s Review Committee,Environmental Energy Technology Division,Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2013
  • Participant, OECD/IEA Sustainable Buildings Network formed under the G8’s Heiligendamn process, 2008 - 2009
  • Associate Editor, Energy Efficiency Journal, published by Springer, 2007 – to date.
  • Contributor, Hungarian Climate Change Strategy, 2007.
  • Advisor, Hungarian Energy Strategy, 2007.
  • Peer reviewer of proposals for various international grant-giving and publishing bodies (selection):
  • v  European Research Council, Starting Grants, Synergy Grants (annually since 2008)
  • Springer, the scientific publisher, for book proposals
  • v  OTKA, the Hungarian Research Support Scheme
  • Academy of Finland, Center of Excellence bids (2006, 2012)
  • UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Large Grants Scheme (2006)
  • Peer reviewer, for several academic journals, including Energy Policy, Nature, Climate Policy, International Environmental Agreements, Energy the International Journal, Buildings and Energy, “Mitigation and Adaptation of Strategies for Global Change”, and others.
  • Member of theSteering,Program and Paper Committees, andchair of session(s) at the following conferences (selection):“Behave” 2014: “Paradigm Shift: From Energy Efficiency to Energy Reduction through Social Change”, London, 2014.
  • European Conference on Energy Use in Commercial Buildings, 2014
  • World Sustainable Energy Days, 2012, 2013, 2014
  • World Science Forum satellite event "Facing the Future: the Climate Summit in Copenhagen and beyond", CEU Budapest, Nov. 4, 2009. Co-host and session chair.
  • Conference "Opportunities for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Action in an Economic Crisis: Catalysing a Green Recovery", CEU Budapest, Oct. 20, 2009. Chair of conference.
  • EEDAL, Energy Efficient Domestic Appliances and Lighting. PC member: 2006, 2009, 2011, 2013,
  • Climate Change Congress Copenhagen, March 2009. Chair of session “Enhancing Energy Conservation and Efficiency”.
  • IPCC Outreach Event “IPCC 2007: Implications for Hungary”, CEU Budapest, April 2008. Main organizer.
  • The Stern Review: a review. Organised by the RegionalEnvironmentCenter and the UK Embassy, Budapest, March 2007.  Conference Moderator.
  • Confronting Climate Change: Managing the Unavoidable, and Avoiding the Unmanagable”. Hungarian release of the UN report, CEU, Feb 28, 2007. Chair of conference.
  •  “Improving energy efficiency in a New Europe: Leveraging the Kyoto Flexibility Mechanisms – past, present & future”.  Organised by UK ERC, Sep 2006, Oxford, UK.
  • Action on 1 Watt”: the First World Conference on Standby Consumption, 2005;
  • 2nd European conference on Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), 2005;
  • “Action on 1 Watt”, first international conference on Standby Power, March 2005;
  • 3rd Conference on Energy Efficient Domestic Appliances and Lighting (EEDAL),  Sept 2003;
  • 1st European conference on Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), May 2003;
  • 2nd European Conference on Commecial Buildings, May 2002;
  • “Right Light 4” the Fourth International Conference on Energy Efficient Lighting, 1997.
  • Invited expert, European COOL (Climate Options for the long term) project on the design of long-term climate-related policies for Europe. 1999-2000
  • Organiser, Chair of Day 2, and Rapporteur of the Economics Discussion Group, Conference “Rivers of Life, Rivers of Death:  Transboundary Environmental Incidents in Central and Eastern Europe” . Budapest, April 2000.
  • Member of selection committees to evaluate applications for several purposes, including scholarships to the OSI’s (Open Society Institute) Local Governance Initiative, CEU student applications for several departments, CRC (Curriculum Resource Center) awards, ERSS (Environmental Research Support Scheme) grants, CEU student thesis research grants, others.
  • Regularly chairing PhD dissertation defenses at other departments of the CEU
  • Member of the External Grants Committee, CEU, 1997 – 1999.
  • Organizer and Chair, Media and Environment Conference, CEU Budapest, May 1997.
  • Invited Independent Expert, Evaluation of the annual Earmarked Grants, the Regional Environmental Center (REC), August 1996.
  • Chair, Section on Environmental Attitudes and Risk Perception, "East-West Harmonisation of the Measurements of Radioactive Contamination", EEC workshop, Budapest, September 1-4. 1994.
  • Further Teaching and Lecturing Experience (see also Employment Experience)
  • Teaching several courses at CEU (see list in Appendix I.)
  • Supervised over 80 MSc Theses; supervising 4 PhD theses, Dept. of Env. Sci, CEU.
  • 10 lectures on energy and climate change policy at the School on Sustainable Development for senior environmental policy-makers, Venice International University, 2004.
  • External committee member of PhD dissertations from around the world, including the Corvinus University, University of Delaware, USA.
  • Invited lecturer, Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) program, Sep 1999.
  • Invited lecturer, Program for Environmental Management, Cluj Technical University, 1998.
  • Invited speaker, Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, 1996 April.
  • Guest lecturer, UC Berkeley, several lectures,   "Environmental Policy and Regulation in Europe", 1995 and 1996.
  • Invited speaker, International and Area Studies Seminar,Center for West European Studies, UC Berkeley, May 1995.
  • Guest lecturer, San Francisco State University, "Environmental Problems and Their Solutions", April 1995.
  • Invited speaker, World Affairs Council, April 1995.

Consulting Experience (not updated since 2010)

  • Global Environment Facility: providing strategic advice to STAP on funding directions for the 5th replenishment period in the buildings sector. 2009.
  • Ecofys: Sectoral Emission Mitigation Potentials: Comparing Bottom-Up and Top-Down Approaches. 2008.
  • Hungarian Ministry of Environment:  Feasibility study for the introduction of a Green Investment Scheme in Hungary. 2006 - 2007
  • Ecofys: Active Implementation of the proposed Directive on Energy Efficiency project, evaluation of policy assessment methodology proposed.
  • Hungarian Ministry of Environment:  Contributing to the Fourth National Communication of the HungarianRepublic to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  Preparing the chapters on Research, Development, Education, and systematic observations.  2005.
  • European Commission: Consumer Information on Electricity.  Subcontractor to the Environmental Change Institute, OxfordUniversity.  2003.
  • Hungarian Ministry of Environment:  The Third National Communication of Hungary to the UNFCCC (United Nation’s Framework Convention on Climate Change).  Authored two chapters.
  • IFC (International Finance Corporation) and GEF (Global Environmental Facility):  Efficient Lighting Initiative (ELI).  Consultant for implementation: residential market research and program strategy design.  Autumn 2000 – Spring 2001.
  • NOVEM (Dutch Agency for Energy Efficiency): “EU Policy and Sustainable Urban Development”.  Literature review; workshop introduction at the SUSTAIN convention.  Spring 2001.
  • IFC and GEF:  Efficient Lighting Initiative (ELI). Hungarian manager of ELI appraisal phase: market research, IFC mission support, project preparation and design, and budget drafting.  Fall 1999.
  • GEF/UNEP: “Economics of Greenhouse Gas Limitations:  Hungary Country Study”.  Research Coordination and Editor of the Final Report.  1997- 1999.
  • IFC and GEF:  Efficient Lighting Initiative (ELI).  Coordination of Pre-appraisal market research.
  • UNEP (UN Environmental Programme) GEO-2 (Global Environmental Outlook) Project. Contributing the development of the Alternative Policy Scenarios section, conducted at  RIVM (the Netherlands’s National Institute for Health and Environment), Fall 1997.  Regular review of energy policy sections for CEE (Central and Eastern Europe).
  • EU SAVE program, CFL Dissemination project, directed by DEFU, Denmark.  Fall 1997.
  • IFC/GEF: Efficient Lighting Initiative.  Preparing country background document for Hungary.  Fall 1997 - Spring 1998.
  • UNEP, GEO-1.  Review of Central and Eastern European section, Summer 1996.
  • Bechtel Corp., Nuclear Power Plant, Paks, Hungary.  1990-91.

Additional Activities and Interests

•Founder and moderator, "HIX KÖRNYÉSZ", the electronic environmental science periodical for Hungary 1995 until 2001.
•Discussion facilitator, Fulbright Workshop on the Environment, April 14-16, 1994, San Francisco
•Organized the student symposium "Unprotected Nature", supported by REC (Regional Environ¬mental Center for Central Europe); June 1992.
•Regular contributions on environmental issues for Hungarian and European newslet¬ters, pa¬pers.
•Hobbies: orienteering, hiking, sports, reading, classical music, arts, bridge.
•Hungarian National Champion in Orienteering, 1984.

Qualification

Doctorate in Environmental Science and Engineering 1992-1996 University of California, Los Angeles and Berkeley
Fulbright Scholar, 1993-96 University of California, Berkeley: Energy and Resources Group
Postgraduate Program in Environmental Sciences Central European University (CEU), June-August 1992
Master of Science, Physics, 1986-92 (specialization: Astrophysics; later Environmental Physics) Eötvös Lóránd University of Sciences (ELTE), Budapest
Visiting Student at Brunel, the University of West London, Academic Year 1990-91: Graduate courses in Environmental Pollution Science and research in environmental physics

File Attachments

Projects with involvement of Diana Ürge-Vorsatz

Sustainable Energy Transitions Laboratory (SENTINEL)
Making Energy Efficiency First principle operational (ENEFIRST)
Otto Wagner Areal Plus
Employment Impacts of a Large-scale Deep Building Energy Retrofit Programme in Hungary
Energy Efficiency Governance
Post-Lisbon Strategy: the climate and energy policy area
Global Energy Assessment: Energy-Efficient Building Modelling Scenarios
The impact of structural changes in the energy sector of CEE countries on the creation of a sustainable energy path
Energy efficient lighting
Confronting Climate Change: Avoiding the Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable
IPCC Outreach event "Climate Change 2007: Implications for Hungary" Key Insights from the IPCC's Fourth assessment Report
Fuel poverty in Hungary
IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation
Possibilities for international financial support for environmental remediation projects in Hungary in the light of the EU accession and integration and the accelerated implementation of the Hungarian National Environmental Remediation Plan (OKKP)
Green Investment Schemes: Maximizing their benefits for climate and society
Carbon dioxide mitigation potential in the Hungarian tertiary sector
Global Energy Assessment
Assessment of policy instruments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings
Carbon dioxide mitigation potential in the Hungarian residential sector
Designing options for Green Investment Schemes in Hungary
Monitoring Electricity Consumption in the Tertiary Sector (EL-TERTIARY)
European Efficient Residential Lighting Initiative (EnERLIn)
Residential Monitoring to Decrease Energy Use and Carbon Emissions in Europe (REMODECE)
EuroWhiteCert: Stepwise Towards Effective European Energy Efficiency Policy Portfolios Involving White Certificates
Preparation of the Fourth Assessment Report on Climate Change 2007 of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change . Chapter 6: Mitigation options in residential and commercial buildings
Background study for the preparation of the long-term greenhouse gas mitigation strategy of Hungary
The 4C Electricity Project