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• First term for the former Colombian Minister of Energy and Mines aligns with global push to 2030 environmental goals

• Country pledges to Global Environment Facility ninth replenishment grow to over $4 billion

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Colombian-Canadian economist and sustainable development expert Diego Mesa Puyo today took up his new role as CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), beginning a four-year term at the helm of the world's largest public funder for the environment. His mandate coincides with the 2026–2030 GEF-9 funding cycle, backed by over $4.3 billion in initial donor pledges to protect and restore the global environment, including a new pledge of £330 million announced last week by the UK government.

"We have a global responsibility to protect nature and the environment while propelling sustainable economic growth. Achieving the 2030 goals requires bringing development and environmental action together," said Mesa Puyo. "The GEF is uniquely positioned within the global financial architecture to bring governments, investors and communities together to deliver global environmental benefits that last, and I am honored and delighted to get started on this work today."

"Investing in nature is investing in resilience and sustainable development for people and planet," Mesa Puyo continued. "Donor governments have been generous in prioritizing this work through our more than $4 billion replenishment in GEF-9, and I am ready to take this forward alongside our exceptional Secretariat team and with our partners around the globe."

Mesa Puyo is an international expert in energy policy, economic development, resilience, and sustainability, who most recently served as Deputy Chief of the Climate Policy Division at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He served as Minister of Energy and Mines during Colombia's 2018–2022 administration, leading one of Latin America's most ambitious energy transition agendas mobilizing more than $3 billion in private investment.

At the GEF, his tenure will focus on the priorities the GEF's member countries have agreed for the sprint to 2030 environmental goals: scaling integrated solutions, expanding blended finance, strengthening whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches, and improving institutional effectiveness. The GEF-9 funding period will also deepen support for Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States and expand engagement with Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Mesa Puyo holds a master's degree in economics from McGill University, a bachelor's degree in economics from Concordia University, and has held the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation since 2012. He succeeds Claude Gascon, who returns to his role as Director of Strategy and Operations after serving as Interim CEO and Chairperson.