The governor of Tocantins, Laurez Moreira (PSD), has appointed Divaldo José da Costa Rezende, PhD in Biology from the University of Aveiro and ambassador of CESAM, as the new Secretary of State for the Environment and Water Resources of the Government of the State of Tocantins, Brazil.
Divaldo Rezende has extensive experience in environmental policy, sustainable finance, climate change, renewable energy, and the carbon market. He holds a degree in Agronomy from the Federal University of Lavras (MG), a master’s in Rural Resources and Environmental Policy from Imperial College, University of London, and a PhD in Biology from the University of Aveiro, Portugal, under the supervision of Professor Amadeu Soares, director of CESAM. He also completed postdoctoral studies in Environmental Assets at the same institution.
At the international level, he has served as President of the Social Carbon Foundation and as Executive Director of Co-Restore, both based in the United Kingdom. He was also a member of the UN Technical Group on CDM Project Emission and Registration, and has worked as a consultant for organizations such as the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
In both Portugal and Brazil, Divaldo has built a career connecting science and public policy. In Tocantins, he served as Secretary of State for the Environment and Water Resources between 2011 and 2013, coordinating policies on conservation, environmental licensing, and sustainable development. He also founded the Ecológica Institute of Palmas and established the Water Resources Development Fund for the state. In the private sector, he was Executive Director of CantorCO2e (2006–2010), where he coordinated REDD and CDM projects, standing out for implementing pioneering carbon sequestration initiatives in Brazil.