The Global Environment Facility (GEF) will hold its second-to-last Council meeting of the eighth funding cycle from December 15-19, 2025, to review progress on its current targets and consider over $350 million in new funding for high-impact environmental initiatives. The proposed funding spans the GEF Trust Fund, Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), and the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), supporting projects on policy coherence, illegal fishing, permafrost peatlands, small island resilience, mercury reduction, and regenerative agriculture. This meeting marks a pivotal moment in the $5.3 billion GEF-8 cycle, which runs through June 2026, as representatives from 186 member countries take stock of achievements and future priorities.
Since July 2022, GEF projects have delivered substantial environmental benefits, including protecting 222 million hectares of terrestrial and marine areas, improving the management of 906 million hectares of marine habitats, restoring nearly 10 million hectares of degraded land, mitigating 2,184 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening cooperation in 47 shared water ecosystems, and reducing 261,900 tonnes of hazardous chemicals. Most targets are either achieved or near completion, with high co-financing ratios exceeding expectations, demonstrating effective mobilization of private sector investment and blended finance operations.
The proposed $291 million GEF Trust Fund work program includes 30 projects across 56 countries, expected to leverage $1.8 billion in co-financing. Key initiatives include protecting marine habitats in the Pacific, combating illegal tuna fishing, supporting regenerative agriculture in Latin America, addressing land degradation in India and Malawi, conserving the Cubango-Okavango river basin, and reducing mercury and persistent organic pollutants in Africa. Additional projects in Brazil, China, Indonesia, and Mexico aim to improve policy coherence and cross-ministerial environmental planning.
The LDCF and SCCF Council will review a $52 million work program focused on enhancing climate resilience in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. Projects emphasize integrated land–water management, coastal protection, sustainable fisheries, and climate-resilient livelihoods, with examples including coastal restoration in Eritrea and Senegal, and climate-resilient land use and coastal management in Kiribati and the Marshall Islands. These investments aim to restore ecosystems, enhance food security, empower communities, and strengthen national adaptation systems.
The GBFF Council will consider a $28.2 million work program targeting biodiversity conservation in Colombia, Indonesia, and Madagascar, integrating ecotourism, sustainable finance, and inclusive governance. Projects include the restoration of mangroves in Colombia, support for locally managed marine areas in Madagascar, and inclusive wildlife-based ecotourism strategies in Indonesia. Council members will also review a resource mobilization strategy for the fund, explore engagement with non-traditional donors, and evaluate a new results framework to better monitor contributions to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Collectively, these discussions reflect the GEF’s ongoing commitment to integrated environmental solutions, sustainable resource management, and inclusive, community-focused approaches to addressing global biodiversity, climate, and pollution challenges.
