Gustavo Silva-Chavez (Environmental Policy, Class of 2000)

Organization / Agency / Company you work for   

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)

Position title 

Climate & Forests Specialist

Short description of your position

Gustavo A. Silva-Chávez is a forests and climate specialist in the Climate and Air Program with Environmental Defense Fund. He works on international climate change issues related to the Kyoto Protocol and the Convention, including efforts to create a post-2012 global climate regime. For the last several years, he has worked to include deforestation provisions in US Congressional bills.  His primary issues are REDD+, CDM reform, sectoral approaches, US re-engagement in the climate talks, and US Congressional legislation with a focus on deforestation provisions.  He is also the lead staffer with the Tropical Forest & Climate Coalition (TFCC)), a business and NGO coalition dedicated to including deforestation provisions in US climate legislation.  He also represents EDF in the Climate Action Network (CAN), a worldwide network of over 365 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) from 85 countries working to promote government, private sector and individual action to limit human-induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels.  Gustavo has also worked on domestic greenhouse gas activities, including the federal 1605(b) voluntary greenhouse gas reporting program, and corporate greenhouse gas accounting and reporting for the private sector. 

Most useful skill / experience you received from your time at UMD

UM gave me a very solid foundation to do public policy based on clear and concise policy memo writing skills, as well as strong quantitative analysis skills.