Jaime de Bourbon de Parme has been appointed as the next Director of the OECD’s Environment Directorate.
He will take up his new role in January 2026, bringing more than two decades of leadership in international diplomacy, climate policy and sustainable development to the Organisation.
The OECD’s Environment Directorate supports national governments through robust cross-country comparable environmental data, sound economic and policy analysis, actionable recommendations, environment outlooks and other reports as well as country reviews and cross-country dialogues. The Organisation’s environment programme helps OECD Members and Partners design and implement economically efficient and effective environment policies to achieve their domestic objectives and international commitments.
Jaime joins the OECD from his role as Climate Envoy for the Netherlands, where since 2021 he has represented the Prime Minister and five Dutch ministries at the UNFCCC, G20, and other international fora. He has co-ordinated the Netherlands’ international climate strategy, covering climate finance, energy transition, water management, food systems, and nature-based solutions, and served on the Board of the Green Climate Fund and was a member of the UNFCCC Transitional Committee on Loss and Damage. Jaime also initiated and led high-level diplomatic dialogues with China and European partners to advance global climate action.
Across more than two decades of leadership in international diplomacy, climate policy, and sustainable development, Jaime previously served as Senior Advisor at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), working to expand displaced communities’ access to clean energy, finance, and digital connectivity. As Ambassador of the Netherlands to the Holy See, Jaime fostered collaboration on climate, migration, and peace, while promoting interfaith dialogue on the values underpinning sustainability. Earlier, as Special Envoy for Natural Resources, Jaime chaired an Informal Multi-stakeholder Steering Group on responsible Mineral Supply Chains and oversaw implementation of the guidance in Africa. Jaime has also held senior roles in crisis management and peacekeeping in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in economic policy at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Commission.
A dual Dutch and Spanish national, Jaime holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and International Economics (Conflict Management) from Johns Hopkins University’s SAIS, and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Visual Arts from Brown University.
Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to preserve individual liberty and improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.