WASHINGTON, DC, April 22, 2013 – On Earth Day 2013, the global environment is under severe stress in several key areas including climate change and biodiversity loss, and transformational change is needed to reverse the negative trends, the head of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) said today.
Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson of the GEF, said its strong 22-year track record of financial support for projects to benefit the global environment puts the GEF in a unique position to promote transformational change in addressing global environmental challenges.
“All 182 member countries that make up the GEF celebrate Earth Day 2013. But this ‘celebration’ is tempered by the knowledge that with each passing year, our earth faces greater stresses,” said Naoko Ishii. “We are racing against time. We need to step up our efforts to address drivers of these negative trends so that on subsequent Earth Days, we truly have something to celebrate. My message is a simple one: Business as usual will not suffice. We need to bring about transformational change in the way we deal with the global environment if we are to succeed in reversing negative trends.”
A key part GEF’s strengths is its relations with partner institutions, conventions, civil society, and the private sector, and the ability to work across environmental focal areas, linking issues such as climate change, biodiversity, chemical pollution, land degradation, and international waters in coordinated approaches.
“This year, the focus of Earth Day is on climate change,” said Naoko.Ishii. “The GEF has been financing climate change projects since its inception. We have supported innovative low-carbon technologies, helped countries strengthen their policy frameworks, and have helped de-risk private investments in clean energy across the world. Our experiences through GEF’s 20+ year history demonstrate that climate change is multi-faceted, and consequently our programs are increasingly designed reflect the multi-dimensional nature of the climate change challenge”
Contact:
Mr. John Diamond
Senior Communication Officer | Spokesperson
Phone +1 202 458 7953
E-mail: jdiamond@thegef.org
Press Release No: 04221013
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About the Global Environment Facility
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) unites 182 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. Today the GEF is the largest public funder of projects to improve the global environment. An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.
Since 1991, GEF has achieved a strong track record with developing countries and countries with economies in transition, providing $11.5 billion in grants and leveraging $57 billion in co-financing for over 3,215 projects in over 165 countries. Through its Small Grants Programme (SGP), the GEF has also made more than 16,030 small grants directly to civil society and community based organizations, totaling $653.2 million. For more information, visit www.thegef.org.
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arego@thegef.org
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