Diego Mesa Puyo selected as next GEF CEO and Chairperson

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council today announced the selection of Diego Mesa Puyo as the family of funds' next CEO and Chairperson. Mesa Puyo, an international leader in energy policy, economic development, and sustainability, and former Minister of Energy and Mines from Colombia, will serve an initial term of four years, aligned with the GEF-9 funding period and the last sprint towards critical 2030 environmental goals.

Before his selection as the GEF's next CEO and Chairperson, Mesa Puyo served as Deputy Chief of the Climate Policy Division of the International Monetary Fund. As Colombia's Minister of Energy and Mines in the 2018-2022 administration, he led one of Latin America's most ambitious energy transition agendas, launching market reforms that mobilized more than $3 billion in private investment and accelerated the deployment of variable renewable energy from near-zero levels to one of the fastest-growing clean energy markets in the region. He also played a central role in advancing energy transition and climate action legislation, embedding sustainability objectives in economic and development policy.

"I am deeply honored to serve as the next CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility at this pivotal moment for the international community," Mesa Puyo said. "Countries need trusted partners that can help turn ambition into action. Building on the GEF's remarkable legacy, I look forward to working with the Secretariat, member countries, and partners around the world to achieve environmental and development goals together by integrating solutions, catalyzing investment, and delivering measurable results for people and planet."

The GEF is the world's largest public funder for the environment and serves international conventions on biodiversity, climate change, and pollution. Donor countries have pledged an initial $3.9 billion for an ambitious ninth replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund, reflecting a strong commitment to protect and restore nature through multilateral cooperation.

The Global Environment Facility is the world's family of funds for the environment. As the financial mechanism for six multilateral conventions, it supports countries' efforts to tackle the root causes of environmental degradation — advancing global goals for nature, climate, and pollution. Over the past three decades, the GEF has been the largest public funder for the environment and provided more than $27 billion in financing, primarily as grants, and mobilized another $155 billion for country-driven priority projects.

Read the full press release here in English, Spanish, and French.