GEF Council approves $916 million for urgent environmental action

The Global Environment Facility’s 186 member governments on Monday allocated $916 million for international action on biodiversity, climate change, nature renewal, and pollution control, and advanced five Integrated Programs designed to tackle complex challenges in their entirety.

The GEF Council, meeting in Washington DC, approved funding for 45 projects and programs, including four blended finance initiatives involving the private sector. The support will directly help more than 12 million people, including Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Sustainable Cities: for People and Planet

The rapid transformation of the world through urbanization has been a defining feature of the last century. This shift has elevated cities into economic powerhouses that foster innovation, economic development, and social interactions. However, this has come at a cost: often prioritizing immediate economic gains, the fast and unplanned expansion of cities around the world has created a variety of challenges that have a negative impact on both people and the environment, significantly contributing to the intensification of the global climate and biodiversity crises.

GEF-8 Corporate Scorecard - February 2024

The Corporate Scorecard is a comprehensive report on the performance of the Global Environment Facility during the eighth replenishment (GEF-8) period. In particular, the Scorecard reports on the progress made towards the achievement of the GEF-8 targets. It also looks at how the GEF is utilizing resources available for its eighth replenishment cycle and making progress in the implementation of key policies. The Scorecard is published twice a year; this issue includes all projects approved from July 2022 to date, including the February 2024 work program.