Tomas Declercq joined the UN Environment Programme in 2019 to support governments in integrating the values of nature’s contributions to people into decision making. He is an environmental economist with a decade of experience in public policy, advising governments on ecosystem service valuation processes, national development and agricultural strategies, and environmental emergency response.
Tomas has moved across three UN duty stations and worked for four UN agencies. Prior to joining the UN Environment Programme, he has been with UN OCHA to support the integration of environmental considerations in humanitarian response, including as a member of the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team. He previously provided technical assistance at UNDP Peru on the Poverty Environment Initiative and has worked for two years as an Agricultural Policy Advisor for the Belgian EU Presidency. He also held short-term assignments for FAO Ecuador and the ITC-ILO. Tomas holds a Master in Economics from Leuven University (KUL), a Master in European Policies (Saint-Louis, Brussels) and a Post Graduate in Environmental Management and Economics from the University of London – School of Oriental and African Studies. Tomas speaks English, Spanish and French.