Charles E. Di Leva is the Chief Officer for Environmental and Social Standards at the World Bank, under the Vice Presidency for Operations, Policy and Country Services.
Formerly, Mr. Di Leva served as Chief Counsel of the Environmental and International Law Practice Group in the World Bank Legal Vice-Presidency and as Legal Advisor to the Climate Change Solutions Area and Environment and Natural Resources Global Practice Group. There, he led the Bank's legal work on the revision of its environmental and social safeguards, provided legal advice to the Bank on the Paris Agreement and related climate finance issues, and led negotiations related to the Green Climate Fund. Throughout his career, Mr. Di Leva has worked on Bank projects in all regions, focusing on environmental and social issues in complex and high-risk settings. He has also represented the Bank Senior Management in activities and investigations carried out by the Bank’s Independent Inspection Panel.
Previously, Mr. Di Leva served as Director of the Environmental Law Center at IUCN (formerly known as the World Conservation Union) in Bonn, Germany, and as Senior Program Officer with the Environmental Law Unit for the United Nations Environment Program in Nairobi, Kenya. Mr. Di Leva also served as Trial Attorney for four years with the U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and for five years with the State of Rhode Island as Legal Counsel in the Department of Environmental Management He also served as Environmental Advocate in the Attorney General’s office. Mr. Di Leva worked for three years in private environmental law practice in Washington D.C., representing clients for environmental counselling and complex litigation.
Mr. Di Leva is an adjunct professor at American University's Washington College of Law where he teaches coursework on Project Finance and the Environment and International Financial Institutions and International Law. He also teaches at George Washington University's School of Law in the field of International Trade and Sustainable Development.