The Green Climate Fund Board selects Yannick Glemarec as new Executive Director

The Board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) has selected Yannick Glemarec to be its new Executive Director. The Board made the merit-based selection decision at its 22nd meeting at the GCF headquarters in Songdo, Republic of Korea, following an extensive global recruitment process. Glemarec will lead the Secretariat of the world’s leading fund supporting climate action in developing countries.

Yannick Glemarec brings 30 years of international experience in climate change, development, finance and their interrelationships. He served as UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Programme in UN Women from 2015 to 2018. Before joining UN Women, he was the Executive Coordinator of the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office in New York from 2013 to 2015. Previously, he served as UNDP Executive Coordinator for the Global Environment Facility in New York from 2007 to 2012. Earlier, he worked with UNDP in increasingly senior development and environment programme positions in Switzerland, Viet Nam, China and Bangladesh. He holds a PhD from the University of Paris in Environment Sciences, and two master’s degrees in Hydrology and in Business Administration.

Board Co-Chair Nagmeldin Goutbi Elhassan Mahmoud, from Sudan, said “We are delighted to select Yannick Glemarec as our next Executive Director. His strong experience and skills will provide GCF with the leadership needed to take us through a successful replenishment, and to increase our climate impact in developing countries.”

Fellow Co-Chair Josceline Wheatley, from the United Kingdom, said “Yannick was selected from a highly qualified pool of applicants for the position. His experience and dynamism greatly impressed the Board, and we are delighted to nominate him to lead the Secretariat.”

Speaking after the Board announcement, Yannick Glemarec said: “I am honoured by the Board members’ decision, and look forward to working together with the Board, Secretariat, and our partners to make a real impact in the fight against climate change.”

GCF was established to support low-emissions and climate-resilient development in developing countries. It is part of the financial mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and serves the Paris Agreement.

The Executive Director will lead the Secretariat of GCF, headquartered in Songdo, Incheon City, Republic of Korea. The selection is subject to the agreement of terms with the successful candidate.

For further developments of the 22nd GCF Board meeting see the livestream broadcast.