The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved over $372 million in funding to implement 36 new programs and projects targeting urgent environmental challenges across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean. These initiatives are supported through the GEF Trust Fund, the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), and the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), with allocations of $291 million, $49 million, $3 million, and $29 million respectively. The projects are designed to protect critical ecosystems, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and empower civil society and Indigenous Peoples to deliver sustainable environmental solutions.
The approved programs aim to address biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution, with special attention to illegal fishing, sustainable management of marine habitats, reduction of hazardous chemicals, and promotion of regenerative agriculture and landscape restoration. The initiatives also foster policy coherence and integrated planning within governments, enhancing environmental outcomes at national and regional levels. Projects funded since July 2022 are projected to mobilize $8.50 in co-financing for every GEF dollar, including $8.1 billion from private sources, demonstrating the catalytic role of GEF grant resources in leveraging public and private capital.
Civil society organizations, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities are central to the implementation and success of these programs. GBFF-funded initiatives emphasize community stewardship, sustainable livelihoods, and rights-based approaches, while LDCF and SCCF projects build resilience in highly vulnerable Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. During the Council meetings, donors including Belgium, Germany, Ireland, and Sweden pledged nearly $39 million to support adaptation financing under the LDCF and SCCF, reflecting continued confidence in the GEF’s impact.
The Council also announced the departure of GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, with Claude Gascon, GEF Director of Strategy and Operations, appointed as interim CEO. Representatives of the GEF’s 186 member countries reviewed progress toward 2022-2026 targets, highlighting achievements such as mitigating over one billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, supporting conservation and sustainable management of 118 million hectares of protected areas, restoring 15 million hectares of land, and eliminating 60,000 tonnes of harmful chemicals. These accomplishments underscore the GEF’s efficiency, scale, and modernization efforts.
Looking ahead to the next funding cycle, GEF-9, which begins in July 2026, donor countries and partners are negotiating proposals to enhance efficiency, fairness, flexibility, and accessibility. The ongoing replenishment discussions will culminate at the Eighth GEF Assembly in Uzbekistan in June 2026, where stakeholders will evaluate progress and set strategic priorities through 2030. The new funding is expected to accelerate global efforts in biodiversity conservation, land restoration, pollution reduction, and climate resilience, transforming key economic systems to achieve sustainable and lasting results.
