Leonardo Lacerda

Leonardo Lacerda

Member

Leonardo is a Senior International Consultant in Climate Solutions.

Soon after concluding his master’s degree in International Relations at Johns Hopkins University (Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies – SAIS), he began his career in the Brazilian Amazon as Director of Conservation at the Fundação Vitória Amazônica, in Manaus.

For over 14 years, he served the WWF World Wide Fund for Nature in several international positions; notably as coordinator of the Program for Latin America and the Caribbean, Director of the Mediterranean Program, Director of Conservation for Brazil and Global Manager of the Forest Conservation Program.

From 2007, he was the director of the environmental program of the Oak Foundation, in Switzerland, where he administered a worldwide grant portfolio in excess of US$ 550 million and formed a team to address climate change, marine conservation, the global campaign against pollution caused by plastics and the illegal trade of wildlife.

Recently, Leonardo was Global General Director for Climate Change at TNC, where he supervised the work of the organization to promote solutions for climate change in mitigation, adaptation and energy transition.

During his career, Leonardo has helped to create terrestrial and marine protected areas that, if added together and continuous, would make up an area that would be the second largest country in the world, only smaller to the territory of Russia. In the climate area, Leonardo has helped to orchestrate the creation and strengthening of the main funder foundations in countries such as Shakti (India); the European Climate Foundation; iCS (Brazil); MCI (Mexico); and China.

He is currently part of the International Council of the Climate Leadership Initiative and works as an independent consultant. Leonardo provides almost 30 years of global experience building diversity and inspiring teams to achieve high-level goals in the sectors of the environment, human development and social justice.