Marcelo Hugo is an environmentalist with over ten years of experience in the climate and forest sector in Brazil. He holds a Bachelor's Degree, with the 'laureate student award', in Administration and a Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Projects and Climate Change. Marcelo Hugo has played leading roles in the environmental agenda in the nonprofit sector, including his role as Climate Change Coordinator at Engajamundo and Public Policy Coordinator at IMAFLORA, one of the five largest environmental NGO's in Brazil.

Since 2014, Marcelo Hugo has participated in five United Nations Climate Change Conferences editions as a climate activist. During his time at IMAFLORA, Marcelo Hugo led projects on Open Government in climate, forest and agriculture sectors, and the advocacy process for the establishment of an Open Parliament Program in the city of Piracicaba, where the organisation is headquartered, making this the first Brazilian municipality to adopt an open parliament initiative.

Marcelo Hugo is a Lemann Scholar.