Dr. Gustavo Fonseca
Director of Programs at the GEF
Dr. Fonseca is the Director of Programs at the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the largest independent funding mechanism supporting the global commons, housed at the World Bank and serving 155 countries. Responsibilities include overseeing the portfolio of investments in biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, forests and REDD+, transboundary marine and freshwater conservation, chemicals and sustainable land management. A tenured Professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil, he was the first Executive Director of Center for Applied Biodiversity before becaming the Chief Conservation and Science Officer of Conservation International. He holds a Master's degree in Latin American Studies and a Ph.D. in Forest Management and Conservation from the University of Florida. He published close to 150 publications articles and books. He received multiple awards, including the Oliver Austin Award of the University of Florida’s State Museum and the Environmental Protection Award of Government of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.