Global Environment Facility

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral environmental fund that provides grants and blended finance for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), mercury, sustainable forest management, food security, and sustainable cities in developing countries. It is the largest source of multilateral funding for biodiversity globally, and distributes more than $1 billion a year on average to address inter-related environmental challenges.

The GEF was established ahead of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and includes 184 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector. It supports country-driven sustainable development initiatives in developing countries that generate global environmental benefits. To date, the GEF has provided more than $22 billion in grants and mobilized another $120 billion in co-financing for more than 5,200 projects and programs. Through its Small Grants Programme (SGP), the GEF has provided support to nearly 27,000 civil society and community initiatives in 136 countries.[1] In June 2022, donors to the GEF pledged a record $5.33 billion in support for its latest four-year replenishment cycle, which runs until June 2026.

In addition to funding projects through grants and blended finance, the GEF also serves as financial mechanism for the following conventions:

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Minamata Convention on Mercury

The GEF also supports implementation of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MP).

The GEF has a governing structure organized around an Assembly, the Council, the Secretariat, 18 Agencies, a Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP), and the Independent Evaluation Office.

The GEF Assembly is composed of all 184 member countries,[2] or Participants. It meets every three to four years at the ministerial level to review general policies; review and evaluate the GEF's operation based on reports submitted to Council; review the membership of the Facility; and consider, for approval by consensus, amendments to the Instrument for the Establishment of the Restructured GEF on the basis of recommendations by the Council. Ministers and high-level government delegations of all GEF member countries take part in the meetings. The Assembly combines plenary meetings and high-level panels, exhibits, side events, and GEF project site visits. Prominent environmentalists, parliamentarians, business leaders, scientists, and NGO leaders discuss global environmental challenges within the context of sustainable development and other international development goals.

The GEF Council is the main governing body of the GEF. It comprises 32 members appointed by constituencies of GEF member countries (14 from developed countries, 16 from developing countries and 2 from economies in transition). Council Members[3] rotate every three years or until the constituency appoints a new Member. The Council, which meets twice annually, develops, adopts, and evaluates the operational policies and programs for GEF-financed activities. It also reviews and approves the work program (projects submitted for approval), making decisions by consensus.

The GEF Secretariat is based in Washington, D.C., and reports directly to the GEF Council and Assembly, ensuring that their decisions are translated into effective actions. The Secretariat coordinates the formulation of projects included in the work programs, oversees its implementation, and makes certain that operational strategy and policies are followed. The CEO and Chairperson, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez heads the Secretariat.

The GEF Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) provides the GEF with scientific and technical advice on policies, operational strategies, programs, and projects. The Panel consists of six members, who are internationally recognized experts in the GEF's key areas of work. They are supported by a global network of experts and institutions. In addition, the STAP interacts with other relevant scientific and technical bodies, particularly with the subsidiary bodies of the environmental conventions.

The GEF Independent Evaluation Office (GEF IEO) reports directly to the Council. It is headed by a Director, appointed by the Council, who coordinates a team of specialized evaluators. It works with the Secretariat and the GEF Agencies to share lessons learned and best practices. The IEO undertakes independent evaluations of GEF impact and effectiveness. These are typically on focal areas, institutional issues, or cross-cutting themes.

GEF Agencies are the operational arm of the GEF. They work closely with project proponents—government agencies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders—to design, develop and implement GEF-funded projects and programs. The GEF works with 18 agencies.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

World Bank

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

African Development Bank (AfDB)

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

World Wildlife Fund – US (WWF-US)

Conservation International (CI)

West African Development Bank (BOAD)

Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (FUNBIO)

Foreign Economic Cooperation Office, Ministry of Environmental Protection of China (FECO)

Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF)

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)