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Black rhino stands with baby in grass

A new lifeline for wildlife conservation finance

What do capital markets have to do with biodiversity? Until now, very little. This changed this week with the launch of a landmark Wildlife Conservation Bond or “rhino bond” that offers a payout linked to the protection of black rhinos, a critically endangered species whose health is essential to…
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Overview shot of natural spring in Croatia

Water underground: why protecting what’s hidden matters to our health and for the planet

As much as 97 percent of the world’s water is underground – this “groundwater” originates from rain, melting ice, and snow which has soaked into the soil and is stored in the pores and cracks between sand, rocks, and soil particles. Hidden under our feet, this source of water is unfortunately often…
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Sorobouly village, near Boromo, Burkina Faso. Sougué Saoué, 37 years old, farmer collects cobat fruit

Supporting transparency to drive ambitious climate action

Over the past five years, the Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) has helped more than 80 countries improve their ability to monitor and share their progress toward international climate goals. The improved reporting and transparency resulting from CBIT support has had a truly game…
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Low angle shot of modern glass buildings and green with clear sky background

How our economy could become more 'nature-positive'

A new World Economic Forum white paper sets out how our economies stand to gain from nature-positive policies. Implementing nature-positive policies could generate an estimated $10 trillion in new annual business value and create 395 million jobs by 2030. The regulatory and business environment…
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Park in Lujiazui financial center, Shanghai, China

Building with nature for a better climate

Nature finally got its rightful place within climate negotiations at COP26 in November. It was the first time – despite the well-established links between the climate and biodiversity crises – that we saw so much emphasis at an international summit on the positive role that nature can play in…
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Trucks on a highway throught the Amazon forest in Brazil

Lessons from a perfect storm in the Amazon wilderness

The agreement by 110 countries at COP26 in Glasgow to halt and reverse deforestation within the decade is very good news. But what will it take for change to actually happen? This is not the first time world leaders have made such a commitment – the successes and failures in the fight to save one…
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Rice and wheat farmer tending to his crop in Nigeria

Integrated programming in the Global Environment Facility: Learning from the GEF-6 IAP programs

Integrated programming was a key component of the GEF-6 replenishment cycle and a priority for implementation of the GEF 2020 strategy. The focus was on supporting recipient countries to tackle major drivers of environmental degradation in a holistic manner, while ensuring that progress in any…
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African farmer is using a tablet on the background of working tractor with a cultivator in the field

How the GEF's blended finance is helping environmental innovators

The Global Environment Facility has opened its fifth call for proposals eligible for blended finance support, reflecting the continued growth of its targeted support for innovative and entrepreneurial projects that can yield global environmental benefits. Interested parties are invited to consult…
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Residents of Freetown, Sierra Leone, show off tree planters

#FreetownTheTreeTown campaign: Using digital tools to encourage tree cultivation in cities

Freetown, located at the seaward tip of a heavily forested, mountainous peninsula, is the capital of Sierra Leone, dominating its urban, economic, and social landscape. Each year, more than 100,000 people in search of employment move to the city, and the urban fringes continue to push deeper into…
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Nigerian farmer on a rice cart being pulled by cattle

Why the GEF is investing in transforming food systems

You may be aware that food plays an important role in human health. Did you know it is also critical to the health of our planet? Food systems are major drivers of global forest and biodiversity loss, land and soil degradation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Pressure is also…

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