Diána Ürge-Vorsatz

Diana Ürge-Vorsatz is a Hungarian scientist. She is a vice-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and professor of Environmental Sciences at Central European University. She was the Director of the Center for Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Policy. She has published widely on environmental and energy studies, primarily climate change mitigation.

Ürge-Vorsatz was a coordinating lead author of both the Fourth and Fifth Assessment Reports (AR4 and AR5) of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. From 1986 to 1992 Ürge-Vorsatz attended Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest, earning a master's degree in physics in 1992 with specialization in both Astrophysics and Environmental Physics. During this time, Ürge-Vorsatz also studied as a visiting student at Brunel University London from 1990 to 1991, where she took graduate courses in environmental pollution science and conducted research in environmental physics. In the summer of 1992, following her Master's graduation, Ürge-Vorsatz attended a post-grad program in Environmental Science at Central European University.

Ürge-Vorsatz was a Fulbright Scholar within the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Los Angeles and Berkeley. She earned her PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering from the University of California in 1996. Her dissertation is titled "Evaluating US Residential and Commercial Electricity Conservation Potentials: an Analysis of the Lighting Sector."

Career Ürge-Vorsatz became an associate professor at Central European University (CEU) in 2001, and a full Professor in 2007. Ürge-Vorsatz accepted the position of Director for the Center for Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Policy (3CSEP) in 2007.

Ürge-Vorsatz has served on the Scientific Expert Group on Climate Change of the United Nations, and led work on the Global Energy Assessment of buildings. She is the vice chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group III (WG III).

Ürge-Vorsatz was a coordinating lead author of both the Fourth and Fifth Assessment Reports (AR4 and AR5) of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Al Gore for their efforts to bring climate change information to the public.

Ürge-Vorsatz has been serving as Vice Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change since July 2023. Ürge-Vorsatz serves on the Board of Directors of Annual Reviews. In 2026, Ürge-Vorsatz became a co-editor of the Annual Review of Environment and Resources.

Personal life In 1984, Ürge-Vorsatz won the Hungarian National Championship in orienteering. She is the mother of seven children.

Selected publications