A forest engineer, Martin Perez Lara is passionate about environmental frameworks and community governance. His work has included developing national rules for carbon accounting in the forestry sector in Colombia, mangrove monitoring approaches in Panama, and methods to certify carbon in international standards aligned with national monitoring systems. Such frameworks and governance are crucial for maintaining environmental integrity when implementing projects in low- and middle-income countries, which often face significant challenges.
Throughout his career, Martin has made substantial contributions to international carbon and biodiversity markets, focusing on community-governed market models. As a result of this work, guidelines and support for public policy have been developed and adopted under the concept of fair deals in voluntary carbon markets. In his current role at WWF-US, Martin focuses on jurisdictional and project biodiversity and carbon schemes. He creates strategies for generating carbon and biodiversity credits based on local actions that, guided by high-quality benchmarks, deliver global impact.
In his free time, Martin enjoys painting. Combining his personal and professional passions, he raises awareness about climate change through art, creating murals on public buildings, streets, and university campuses.
Martin holds a master’s degree in international affairs from the Externado University of Colombia. In addition, he is a trained United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change expert for REDD+ (reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and foster conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks) and is a researcher affiliate at the Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A native of Colombia, he resides in Brasilia, Brazil, and speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
