The Global Environment Facility’s governing body is preparing for a pivotal meeting to review progress and consider new financing for impactful environmental initiatives. This marks the penultimate gathering of the GEF’s eighth funding cycle.
From December 15 to 19, the GEF Council will convene virtually, bringing together representatives from its 186 member countries. They will deliberate on more than $350 million in proposed funding, aimed at enhancing policy coherence, combating illegal fishing, maintaining permafrost peatlands, increasing the resilience of small island nations, addressing the dangers of mercury use, and revitalizing farmlands through blended finance.
This meeting is set within the context of the $5.3 billion GEF-8 cycle, which is scheduled to conclude in June 2026. The proposed funding distribution includes $291 million from the GEF Trust Fund, $49 million from the LDCF, $3 million from the SCCF, and $29 million from the GBFF. These funds collectively support six multilateral environmental conventions, promoting integrated approaches to tackling biodiversity, climate change, and pollution, while emphasizing the involvement of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
The Council will also engage with civil society organizations and environmental convention leaders to assess the progress towards GEF-8 targets, with a focus on the unprecedented scale and ambition achieved in project delivery.
Since July 2022, the approved projects and programs, including those considered for December 2025, are expected to yield significant benefits such as:
- Protecting 222 million hectares of terrestrial and marine protected areas
- Enhancing the management of 906 million hectares of marine habitats
- Restoring nearly 10 million hectares of degraded land and ecosystems
- Mitigating 2,184 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions
- Fostering cooperation in 47 shared water ecosystems
- Reducing 261,900 tonnes of chemicals of global concern
The targets for environmental results are largely achieved or close to being met. Co-financing ratios have exceeded expectations, with $8.5 obtained per GEF dollar and $8.1 billion mobilized from private sources during this period. The GEF’s blended finance operations have achieved a co-financing ratio of 19-to-1 in this funding cycle.
Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO and Chairperson of the GEF, emphasized the importance of expanding successful initiatives addressing environmental challenges in a holistic manner, aligning broader public policies with conservation needs, and ensuring widespread societal engagement for lasting impact.
“In this last ‘regular’ Council meeting before the GEF Assembly gathers in Uzbekistan in June 2026, we will have an opportunity to reflect on what we have delivered and how we are poised to generate more positive impacts, thanks to our streamlined and simplified procedures and focus on learning and inclusion,” Rodríguez stated. “One project alone in this work program is set to protect 840 million hectares of marine habitat and move 2,900 tons of fisheries to more sustainable levels through improved regional cooperation. This is the kind of impact we are proud to be generating, and that we will continue to build on into the GEF-9 period with an eye on the 2030 global environmental goals.”
The Council will consider the $291 million GEF Trust Fund work program, which includes 30 projects and programs across 56 countries. This funding is anticipated to leverage $1.8 billion in co-financing, or $7 for each GEF dollar.
Highlighted initiatives include Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity, a comprehensive effort to safeguard and manage marine habitats sustainably. This proposed funding will support at least 12 Pacific Small Island Developing States and positively impact over 3 million people in the region. Additionally, a global initiative to combat illegal tuna fishing is expected to significantly advance efforts to restore marine fisheries to sustainable levels.
Other notable projects involve a blended finance initiative leveraging IFC concessional financing and private investment to promote regenerative agriculture in Latin America; combating land degradation affecting Indian pastoralists and Malawian farmers; addressing emissions from permafrost peatlands; conserving the Cubango-Okavango river basin for the benefit of local communities and wildlife; and reducing mercury and persistent organic pollutants risks in Africa. The GEF Trust Fund work program emphasizes policy coherence, with projects in Brazil, China, Indonesia, and Mexico aimed at fostering alignment, integrated planning, and knowledge exchange across ministries for enhanced environmental outcomes.
The LDCF and SCCF Council will consider a $52 million work program focused on enhancing climate resilience in the most vulnerable Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. These initiatives prioritize integrated land–water management, coastal protection, sustainable fisheries, and climate-resilient livelihoods, emphasizing community-driven solutions, gender-responsive action, and ecosystem-based approaches tailored to national priorities.
In Eritrea and Senegal, proposed projects aim to strengthen coastal resilience through ecosystem restoration, sustainable fisheries, and diversified livelihoods, benefiting over 70,000 people through restored mangroves, improved water management, and enhanced local governance. These efforts are poised to bolster food security, protect biodiversity, and expand economic opportunities for women and youth in coastal communities.
In the Pacific, proposed LDCF support to Kiribati will amplify climate-resilient land use planning, coastal management, and sustainable livelihoods across fragile atolls. A Marshall Islands initiative funded through the GEF Trust Fund and SCCF will tackle drought, saltwater intrusion, and coastal erosion. Collectively, these investments aim to restore critical terrestrial and coastal ecosystems, manage thousands of hectares better, and reinforce national systems to reduce long-term vulnerability in low-lying island states.
This work program emphasizes the LDCF and SCCF’s leadership in delivering predictable, grant-based adaptation finance to countries facing acute climate risks. It also showcases how ecosystem restoration, inclusive governance, and community empowerment can build resilience at scale – a timely contribution as countries prepare their next generation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and transparency reports.
The GBFF Council, in its fifth meeting, will evaluate a $28.2 million work program comprising projects in Colombia, Indonesia, and Madagascar, focused on advancing biodiversity conservation on land and sea by integrating ecotourism and sustainable finance while ensuring the participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, including Afro-descendent communities in Colombia.
GBFF Council members will also review a resource mobilization strategy to ensure predictable and ambitious capitalization of the innovative fund, seeking resources from non-traditional donors, including the private sector and philanthropies. Additionally, they will review a new results framework for the GBFF to enhance the capability to monitor and report on the fund’s contribution to implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, aligning GBFF portfolio-level results indicators with the monitoring framework adopted by the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in February 2025.
Original Story at www.thegef.org