Diego Mesa Puyo selected as next GEF CEO and Chairperson

This press release is available in French and Spanish.

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 (IMF). 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. 

Priorities for the four-year GEF-9 period include advancing integrated solutions at scale; mainstreaming blended finance; fostering whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches; securing robust funding for Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States; scaling up support to Indigenous Peoples and local communities; and increasing efficiency and effectiveness.

“On behalf of the GEF Council, I warmly welcome Mr. Diego Mesa Puyo as the next CEO and Chairperson of the GEF.  Diego brings the leadership, vision and experience needed to deliver on the ambitions of the GEF-9 replenishment in an increasingly complex global environmental landscape. At this pivotal time, Diego’s appointment is an opportunity to lead the GEF in strengthening access for vulnerable countries including SIDS and LDCs, driving local engagement and solutions, and deepening partnerships and catalyzing private funding to mobilize the scale of action and investment needed to address today's environmental challenges,” Richard Bontjer, Co-Chair of the GEF Council and Council member for Australia, New Zealand and Republic of Korea said.

“The Selection and Review Committee conducted a rigorous, transparent, and merit-based process to identify the strongest candidate to lead the GEF family of funds during this critical period for global environmental action,” said Maher Abdelrahim, Chair of the GEF Council Selection and Review Committee and Council Member for Afghanistan, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Syria, and Yemen. “We are confident that Diego Mesa Puyo brings the vision, leadership, and experience needed to build on the GEF’s strong foundation and help deliver ambitious results for countries and the global environment."

In addition to the Trust Fund, the GEF CEO and Chairperson leads the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, Least Developed Countries Fund, and Special Climate Change Fund, which provide targeted support to countries to meet global biodiversity and climate adaptation goals. Over more than three decades, the GEF family of funds has provided more than $27 billion in financing and mobilized another $155 billion for environmental priorities in developing countries.

Mesa Puyo will succeed Interim CEO and Chairperson Claude Gascon, who has led the GEF since December 2025. “The GEF is a standout organization that plays a unique role connecting countries and demonstrating how collaborative action can make things better for the planet,” Gascon said. “I am confident that under Diego Mesa Puyo’s leadership, the strong momentum of our last replenishment will carry forward on the road to 2030. The global environmental benefits the GEF delivers are the foundation for a healthier planet and future for all.”

Mesa Puyo is expected to take up his position as the new GEF CEO and Chairperson at the beginning of October 2026.

About the Global Environment Facility
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) 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.