Karla Arias

Distinguished dual PhD holder in Development Economics and Economic Science, specializing in energy economics, environmental policy, and strategic economic modeling. With over a decade of experience in influential roles within international organizations and public sector agencies, I offer a profound understanding of energy transitions, utility regulations, and the socio-economic impacts of energy policies. My career, underscored by leadership positions at the Central Bank and consultancy roles at the Interamerican Development Bank, has been dedicated to advancing sustainable energy policies and inclusive economic strategies. Expert in directing complex, multi-national projects from conceptualization to execution, with a track record of securing funding and delivering high-impact research.

• Led advisory roles in formulating innovative energy subsidy targeting strategies across Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile, enhancing regional energy management.
• Pioneered the development of transformative energy transition policies for oil companies in developing nations, fostering sustainable industry practices.
• Authored a groundbreaking methodology to evaluate environmental efficiency and productivity in oil companies, as showcased in my doctoral thesis.
• Spearheaded policy initiatives aimed at bolstering female participation in the energy sector, driving forward gender equity.
• Played a key advisory role in crafting policies to mitigate socio-environmental impacts of major mining projects in Latin America’s vulnerable regions.

• Grantee of the SENECYT Excellence Program that financed my master's studies in Australia, call 2012.
• Grantee of the Solidarity Fund for Innovative Projects of the French Embassy 2020, which financed my doctoral studies.

• Carrillo-Maldonado, P., Arias, K., Zanoni, W., & Cruz, Z. (2024). Local socioeconomic impacts of large-scale mining projects in Ecuador: The case of Fruta del Norte. Resources Policy, 89, 104625.
• Arias, K., & Colmenarez, M. (2023). Energy efficiency and environmental productivity: Analysis of Ecuadorian oil companies. ENERLAC, 7(2), Diciembre, 2023. ISSN: 2602-8042 (impreso) / 2631-2522 (digital)
• Arias, K., López, D., Camino-Mogro, S., Weiss, M., Walsh, D., Gomes, L. G., & Hallack, M. C. M. (2023). Green transition and gender bias: An analysis of renewable energy generation companies in Latin America. Energy Research & Social Science, 101, 103151.
• Abad, A., Arias, M., & Ravelojaona, P. (2023). Environmental productivity assessment: An illustration with the Ecuadorian oil industry. Managerial and Decision Economics, 44(8), 4559-4571.
• Arias, K. (2023). Évaluation énergétique de l'extraction du pétrole: efficacité et durabilité du secteur pétrolier privé du Equateur (Doctoral dissertation, Université de Perpignan; Faculté latinoaméricaine de sciences sociales (Sede académica Ecuador)).
• Arias, K., Carrillo-Maldonado, P., & Torres-Olmedo, J. (2022). Evaluación de las reformas que impulsan el empleo formal. Estudios económicos, 39(78), 33-59.
• Guayanlema, V., Fernández, L., & Arias, K. (2017). Análisis de indicadores de desempeño energético en Ecuador. ENERLAC. Revista de energía de Latinoamérica y el Caribe, 1(2), 122-139.