David Burns is the Director of Governance at Greenhouse Gas Protocol, where he oversees the Protocol’s new multi-stakeholder governance model. He previously served as acting Chief of Staff for GHG Protocol. Prior to joining GHG Protocol, David was the global policy lead for natural climate solutions at World Resources Institute (WRI), where he focused on the use of nature to enhance national and corporate climate ambition, including via the responsible use of market mechanisms.

Before joining WRI, David served as a Senior Manager with the National Wildlife Federation, where his work centered on eliminating deforestation and human rights abuses from the production of globally traded agricultural commodities like palm oil, soy, and cattle products. He previously consulted for the World Bank and Climate Focus, specializing in REDD+, carbon markets, and land-use policy.

David holds a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry (now Yale School of the Environment) and a B.A. from Bates College. He is based in Washington, DC.