News

As funding the climate challenge takes center stage at COP29 in Azerbaijan, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has announced the latest winners of its Challenge Program for Adaptation Innovation, with $20 million in grants awarded to projects that will reimagine climate adaptation finance.

Findings from the new Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment (N₂O) warns that without urgent action on rising N₂O emissions, there is no viable pathway to limiting global warming to 1.5°C, and provides tangible tools to reduce emissions by more than 40% from current levels. The assessment shows that N₂O is currently the most significant oz

New contributions from Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, and Québec announced at COP16.

The support from Québec is the GBFF’s first pledge from a sub-national government.

The GBFF now has 12 contributors including Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, and Spain.

The Global Environment Facility has approved the first funding related to the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, an important milestone for ensuring the health and resilience of more than two-thirds of the world’s ocean ecosystems. 

Global Environment Facility member countries approved $736.4 million in funding, including new support for the Great Green Wall, a landmark initiative focused on increasing climate resilience and improving land health across Africa’s Sahel region.

The diverse package of financing includes the new Global Biodiversity Framework Fund’s first three approved projects, less than a year after the fund’s launch, and the most support ever provided by the Least Developed Countries Fund for climate change adaptation. 

 

The Global Environment Facility’s governing body will hold back-to-back Council meetings for the GEF Trust Fund, the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) and the Least Developed Countries Fund/Special Climate Change Fund (LDCF/SCCF) from June 17 to 20 in Washington, DC.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility launched a new $135 million Blue and Green Islands Integrated Program (BGI-IP) today during the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4). This initiative aims to emphasize the crucial role of nature and expand nature-based solutions to combat environmental degradation in three key sectors: urban development, food prod

Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe have joined forces to reduce the burden of mercury and persistent organic pollutants

Mercury and persistent organic pollutants pose risks to human health and the environment

$48-million initiative will prevent the build-up and improve the management and disposal of hazardous waste

Albania, Burkina Faso, India, Montenegro and Uganda have joined forces to halt mercury pollution from the healthcare sector Mercury harms human health and the environment $134-million initiative will support a holistic approach to improve the management of mercury waste and the adoption of alternatives

Geneva, 14 May 2024 – The Governments of Albania, Burkina Faso, India, Montenegro and Ugand

The initiative brings together lake and phosphorus management communities, marking a significant step toward establishing a global framework for sustainable phosphorus management. The $2 million initiative will increase clarity on global phosphorus emissions, drivers and impacts through science, data and evidence. Excess nutrient loading into lakes endangers human health, drinking water supplies, and drives biodiversity loss.

Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines unite to strengthen blue economy and coastal and ocean management through innovative financing mechanisms. 

Coastal and marine resources – coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, tidal marshes, and beaches – are critical economic drivers in the Caribbean. 

The USD 6 million initiative will leverage existing regional sustainable finance architecture in the Caribbean to support and showcase the value of blue economy and blue businesses.  

Ecuador, India, Kenya, Laos, Philippines, Uruguay, and Vietnam have joined forces to reduce the environmental impact of the agricultural sector Highly hazardous pesticides and plastic waste from agriculture release toxic persistent organic pollutants into the environment, also harming human health $379 million initiative will realign financial incentives to prevent the use of harmful inputs in food production

A newly launched Climate Transparency Platform offers a one-stop shop to track countries’ latest reported progress towards global carbon reduction goals, providing a key source of information for governments, civil society, and academia on the road to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s COP28 summit in Dubai.

During the GEF Assembly, Canada and the United Kingdom announced contributions to the new Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, created to ramp up investment in nature restoration and renewal.

VANCOUVER – In good news for nature in a challenging moment, representatives of 185 countries agreed at the Global Environment Facility’s Seventh Assembly in Canada to launch an innovative new fund for biodiversity that will attract funding from governments, philanthropy, and the private sector.

15 countries have united behind the GEF-funded Plastics Integrated Program to transition to a circular economy in the food and beverage sector and combat plastic pollution from single-use plastic packaging

$107-million program is the largest global investment in tackling plastic pollution to date

Brasilia, 26 June 2023 – The world’s largest funder of environmental action has announced its backing for over $321 million in UN Environment Programme initiatives to tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity and waste and pollution. 

As the world experiences the triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, Canada continues to show leadership in advancing environmental action at home and around the world by bringing diverse partners together to find solutions for a healthy planet.

The ISLANDS Programme has launched a new app to turn the tide on plastic pollution

Plastic waste harms human health and the environment, releasing toxic persistent organic pollutants if improperly managed

The Tide Turners app will equip over 100,000 young people around the world with youth-focused community-based solutions to stop plastic waste

West Africa’s six Volta River Basin countries launch initiative to reduce socioeconomic pressures on the basin's natural resources $7-million project aims to reverse ecosystem and water resource degradation in one of Africa’s fastest-growing regions Currently home to 29 million people, the population of the Volta River Basin is expected to top 68 million by 2046

Senegal, Thailand and Uruguay have joined forces to reduce the environmental and health impacts of the dental industry Mercury is a key component of dental amalgam, posing significant risks to human and environmental health when improperly handled and disposed of $13-million initiative will support a holistic approach to accelerate the phase down of dental amalgam use and improve the disposal of mercury-containing waste

Côte d'Ivoire acts to reduce mercury pollution from its artisanal gold mining sector Over half a ton of mercury is used by Côte d'Ivoire’s miners annually $17-million initiative will support access to markets, finance and the uptake of mercury-free technologies by miners

Abidjan, 25th April 2023 – The Ivorian Government has taken decisive action to protect the nation’s health and environment today, launching a $17-million project to reduce the use of mercury in its artisanal gold mining sector.

19 April 2023, Juba – The Government of South Sudan has launched a major USD 9 million-initiative to help communities adapt to climate change by strengthening climate early warning systems and restoring the country’s precious ecosystems in 2 of the 10 states.

Guinea moves to reduce mercury pollution from its artisanal gold mining sector $17-million initiative will support access to markets, finance and the uptake of mercury-free gold mining technologies Mercury poses significant risks to human and ecosystem health

Conakry, 17th April 2023 – The Guinean Government has taken an important step today, launching a $17-million project to reduce the use of mercury by the nation’s artisanal gold miners.

Used to extract gold from ore, mercury is a toxic chemical that can cause irreversible brain damage.

Gabon, Jamaica and Sri Lanka have joined forces to reduce the environmental and health toll of the skin lightening industry $14-million initiative will support a holistic approach to eliminate mercury from skin lightening products and promote the beauty of all skin tones Many skin lightening products include mercury, posing significant risks to human health and the environment

Geneva, 14 February 2023