Diego Mesa Puyo appointed CEO of Global Environment Facility

Diego Mesa Puyo, a Colombian-Canadian economist and sustainable development expert, has assumed his role as CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). His four-year term begins alongside the 2026–2030 GEF-9 funding cycle.

The GEF-9 replenishment has received over $4.3 billion in initial donor pledges to support global environmental protection and restoration. This includes a recent £330 million commitment from the United Kingdom. Mesa Puyo intends to focus on scaling integrated solutions, expanding blended finance, and strengthening institutional effectiveness to meet 2030 environmental goals.

Mesa Puyo previously served as the Minister of Energy and Mines for Colombia from 2018 to 2022 and most recently held the position of Deputy Chief of the Climate Policy Division at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).