Juan Moreno-Cruz, University of Waterloo

Research

Economics Energy Environment Energy transitions Urban and Regional Studies Climate Change Air Pollution Economic Policy

Latest papers

Northward expansion of high-stature vegetation reveals net surface-cooling feedbacks in the majority of Canadian Boreal-Tundra ecozones.
Nature communications · 2026
Assessing the climate benefits of afforestation in the Canadian Northern Boreal and Southern Arctic.
Nature communications · 2025
Substantial carbon removal capacity of Taiga reforestation and afforestation at Canada's boreal edge.
Communications earth & environment · 2025

All 8 publications

Latest funding

Development of tools for incorporation of population health and environmental justice endpoints in decarbonization policies
NSERC · 2024 · Co-investigator
$86,000
Connecting communities to advance a sustainable energy transition
SSHRC · 2024 · Co-investigator
$15,000
The Role of Narratives on Sustainable Food Consumption
SSHRC · 2023 · Principal investigator
$72,928

All 8 grants and awards

8 publications.

01

Northward expansion of high-stature vegetation reveals net surface-cooling feedbacks in the majority of Canadian Boreal-Tundra ecozones.

Amaogu DC, Ofosu E, Dsouza KB, Pigeon J, Arenson LU, Boudreault R, Moreno-Cruz J, Leonenko Y, Maghoul P

Nature communications2026

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-75957-y PMID: 42669709

02

Assessing the climate benefits of afforestation in the Canadian Northern Boreal and Southern Arctic.

Dsouza KB, Ofosu E, Salkeld J, Boudreault R, Moreno-Cruz J, Leonenko Y

Nature communications2025

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56699-9 PMID: 40000622

03

Substantial carbon removal capacity of Taiga reforestation and afforestation at Canada's boreal edge.

Dsouza KB, Ofosu E, Boudreault R, Moreno-Cruz J, Leonenko Y

Communications earth & environment2025

DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02822-z PMID: 41245524

04

Social science research to inform solar geoengineering.

Aldy JE, Felgenhauer T, Pizer WA, Tavoni M, Belaia M, Borsuk ME, Ghosh A, Heutel G, Heyen D, Horton J, Keith D, Merk C, Moreno-Cruz J, Reynolds JL, Ricke K, Rickels W, Shayegh S, Smith W, Tilmes S, Wagner G, Wiener JB

Science (New York, N.Y.)2021

DOI: 10.1126/science.abj6517 PMID: 34762479

05

Modeling migration patterns in the USA under sea level rise.

Robinson C, Dilkina B, Moreno-Cruz J

PloS one2020Senior author

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227436 PMID: 31968017

06

Climate econometric models indicate solar geoengineering would reduce inter-country income inequality.

Harding AR, Ricke K, Heyen D, MacMartin DG, Moreno-Cruz J

Nature communications2020Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13957-x PMID: 31932612

07

Can virtual water trade save water resources?

Liu X, Du H, Zhang Z, Crittenden JC, Lahr ML, Moreno-Cruz J, Guan D, Mi Z, Zuo J

Water research2019

DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.07.015 PMID: 31352242

08

Understanding the industrial contribution to pollution offers opportunities to further improve air quality in the United States.

Moreno-Cruz J

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2019First author

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1913999116 PMID: 31511418

Development of tools for incorporation of population health and environmental justice endpoints in decarbonization policies

Co-investigatorNSERC2024Discovery Horizons

Principal investigators: Hakami, Amir

Keywords: Air quality modelling; Environmental justice; Population health; Decarbonization; Adjoint analysis; Air pollution economics; Cobenefits; Climate mitigation

$86,000

Connecting communities to advance a sustainable energy transition

Co-investigatorSSHRC2024Destination Horizon Grants

Principal investigators: Rowlands, Ian

$15,000

The Role of Narratives on Sustainable Food Consumption

Principal investigatorSSHRC2023Insight Development Grant

Principal investigators: Moreno-Cruz, Juan

Keywords: Narratives; Care; Sustainable consumption; Sustainable food consumption; Cultural changes; Social-ecological systems; Complex adaptive systems; Meanings around food; Self-narratives; Sustainability transitions

$72,928

Energy Transitions

Principal investigatorSSHRC2023Canada Research Chairs

Principal investigators: Moreno-Cruz, Juan

$50,000

The role of chemical fuels in Canada's net zero transition

Co-investigatorNSERC2022Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: Sleep, Sylvia S

Keywords: chemical fuels; energy systems model; industrial decarbonization; life cycle assessment; net-zero; policy scenarios; technology diffusion; vehicle technologies

$1,250,000

Recoupling the Livestock Nutrient Economy: Developing sustainable and integrative solutions to food-water-energy challenges

Co-investigatorSSHRC2020New Frontiers in Research Fund - Exploration

Principal investigators: Basu, Nandita

Keywords: water quality energy policy climate change greenhouse gas manure management

$250,000

Economic and Business Approaches to Low-Carbon Transitions

Principal investigatorSSHRC2018Canada Research Chairs

Principal investigators: Moreno-Cruz, Juan

Keywords: Economics; Energy; Environment; Energy transitions; Urban and Regional Studies; Climate Change; Air Pollution; Economic Policy

$550,000

Economic and Business Approaches to Low-Carbon Transitions

Principal investigatorSSHRC2018Canada Research Chairs

Principal investigators: Moreno-Cruz, Juan

Keywords: Economics; Energy; Environment; Energy transitions; Urban and Regional Studies; Climate Change; Air Pollution; Economic Policy

$50,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Interdisciplinary Studies
Earth & Environmental Sciences
Génies Civil, géologique et des mines

Co-authors at University of Waterloo, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Yuri Leonenko

Earth & Environmental Sciences

3 shared papers, latest 2026

Pooneh Maghoul

Génies Civil, géologique et des mines

1 shared papers, latest 2026

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their SSHRC grant from 2023

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Economics Dear Professor Moreno-Cruz, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Northward expansion of high-stature vegetation reveals net surface-cooling feedbacks in the majority of Canadian Boreal-Tundra ecozones." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your SSHRC-funded project "The Role of Narratives on Sustainable Food Consumption" (2023), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]