He is the former executive director of Alana Foundation and co-founder of Believe.Earth. Mr. Furtado also served as the facilitator of the Brazilian Coalition on Climate, Forest and Agriculture, a multi-stakeholder forum with representatives from academia, business, and civil society to implement a just and sustainable low carbon economy.
He was Executive Director of Greenpeace Brazil from 2008 to 2013 and Head of the forest, climate & energy, toxics, and oceans campaign in Brazil from 2005 to 2008. At Greenpeace International (1990 to 2005), Marcelo served as a policy adviser on Climate & Energy and Industrial Pollution and coordinated the Latin America and later the global Toxic Trade Campaign on the promotion of clean technology and the worldwide ban on hazardous waste trade. He is Chair of the Board of World Resources International (WRI) Brazil, a board member of Conectas Human Rights, and a member of the innovation and sustainability committee at Duratex.
Mr. Furtado is a chemical engineer by training with a master’s degree in renewable energy and a Climate, Energy, and Land Use professional with nearly 30 years of experience as an activist committed to advancing sustainability and social justice through innovation and public mobilization. Mr. Furtado was a Lemann Fellow and Executive Director at Arapyaú Institute, a family foundation that promotes sustainability, justice, education, and political advocacy, from 2013 to 2017.
Before joining the non-profit sector, Mr. Furtado worked in the chemical industry and as a consultant on the field of technology and innovation.