68th GEF Council Meeting

“Our planet’s vital signs are flashing red,” declared the Global Environment Facility’s CEO and Chairperson, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, on the first day of the 68th session of the GEF Council, the Facility’s governing body. “We need to work urgently to avert the collapse of the global ecological systems that maintain life on Earth. The decisions we take over the next 12-18 months are critical.”

With the stage thus set, the 68th Council began work on steps needed to reform the GEF partnership – the 186 countries, Secretariat, 18 implementing agencies, as well as civil society organizations (CSOs), Indigenous Peoples, and the private sector that participate in the GEF – and prepare for the next and ninth GEF Trust Fund replenishment (GEF-9), covering the period 2026-2030, which will determine the GEF’s contribution toward achieving the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The 68th Council’s decisions included launching the 18-month negotiation process for GEF-9 in January 2025. During the week, top officials from multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) that the GEF serves reminded the Council of the messages from the recent biodiversity, climate, and desertification Conferences of the Parties (COPs) regarding their conventions’ resource needs through 2030, as well as from civil society representatives and others. This promoted spirited Council debates about the levels of ambition, reform, and innovation that GEF-9 must reflect at a particularly challenging time in the world.

With some of these needs and challenges front-of-mind, the 68th Council undertook improving the delivery of benefits to recipient countries, particularly Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Among other actions, the Council launched a process of policy and procedural reform to streamline the GEF project cycle and get money into recipients’ hands sooner.

In addition, the Council agreed to consider another expansion of the ranks of GEF implementing agencies, but this time with specific objectives in mind, for example, seeking actors with expertise and experience in underserved regions, and agencies with a track record in engaging civil society and the private sector. Members also decided forthcoming Council sessions would consider options, including set-asides and incentives, to encourage greater balance in the distribution of projects and resources among GEF implementing agencies and to further engage multilateral development banks (MDBs) that attract substantial cofinancing and the private sector.

The nearly $700 million work program approved by the 68th Council focused heavily on chemicals and waste at a time when the GEF hopes to prove to the multilateral community that it has the capacity to serve as the financial mechanism for a global plastics treaty being negotiated and that it could play a significant role in realizing the vision of the Global Framework on Chemicals adopted in 2023. The chemicals and waste component of the latest work program includes initiatives focused on agrochemicals, tourism, and the elimination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The work program activities also include the establishment of a global Chemicals and Wastes Financing Partnership Facility to be housed within the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and specifically designed to address the global funding gap for sound chemicals and waste management.

The 32 members of the GEF Council, representing 186 countries, met virtually from 16-20 December 2024, with the active participation of representatives of CSOs, Indigenous Peoples, and youth.

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The achievements of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) in its first year were celebrated on the final day of the 68th Global Environmental Facility Council meeting. The GEF Council met as the third GBFF Council with members hearing progress reports on the Fund’s programming and on efforts to set up its Advisory Group and Auxiliary Body.

The session opened as the 37th Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF)/Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) Council. Council members considered a Secretariat Planning Note for the development of the GEF Programming Strategy on Adaptation and operational improvements.

The Secretariat outlined a process that would begin as informal consultations in February 2025 and culminate in the presentation of the Strategy to the 40th LDCF/SCCF Council for its endorsement. The Council agreed to initiate the process as proposed.

The LDCF/SCCF Council also heard new pledges:

• 10 million British pounds to the SCCF Window A from the UK;
• 2.27 million euros to the LDCF from the Wallonia region of Belgium;
• 15 million euros to the LDCF and 20 million euros to the SCCF from Germany; and
• 130 million Swedish kronor to the LDCF from Sweden.

Members then switched to meeting as the GBFF Council. GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez opened by touting the achievements of the GBFF since its launch in August 2023 at the seventh GEF Assembly in Vancouver, Canada. He noted its establishment and operationalization in record time, with 40 projects and nearly all of its first financing tranche used, and four projects already underway. Rodríguez highlighted the fund’s many process and policy innovations and its quick progress toward fulfilling portfolio targets for engaging LDCs, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs), multilateral development banks (MDBs), and international financial institutions (IFIs).

Addressing the GBFF Council, Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), also hailed THE GEF’s achievements in setting up the GBFF “super fast,” getting projects out quickly, acting like a innovation trailblazer, and quickly approaching portfolio targets. “It all bodes well for a mature, effective, and efficient Fund.”

The Secretariat presented a programming progress report to the Council highlighting how during the initial three selection rounds 40 proposals were selected, from 127, for a total of $201.6 million programmed. Another Secretariat briefing discussed feedback on modified terms of reference for the Council’s Advisory Group of Non-Sovereign Participants and the resulting Secretariat proposal, which the Council approved.

The new Co-Chairs of the GBFF Council’s Auxiliary Body, Andrea Cruz (Mexico) and Sino Tohirzoda (Tajikistan), addressed the Council, noting that the Body held its first meeting on December 10, 2024 and stands ready to advise the Council on any topic the Council requests.

CEO and Chairperson Rodríguez closed the Council by thanking everyone for their collaboration and consensus during the week’s meetings. Noting that 2025 will not be any easier than 2024 was, as the impacts of the planetary crisis will continue increasing and impacting those most vulnerable to their effects, he asked participants to imagine what could be achieved more funding was available and requested everyone’s input on what the GEF needs to do to collectively increase Members’ ambition and better serve the world.

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Thursday’s deliberations were a “split screen,” seeing the closing of the Global Environment Facility Council following agreement agree on two important decisions to improve Trust Fund delivery to recipient countries, particularly the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This was followed by the opening session of the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF)/Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) Council meeting, which approved a LDCF/SCCF work program of over $100 million, amidst donor recognition of the funds’ successes in areas such as innovation, private sector partnerships, and engagement with multilateral development banks, despite resource constraints.

The two GEF Council decisions involved streamlining the GEF project cycle and possible expansion of the number of implementing agencies in the GEF partnership.

The streamlining decision came after two days of negotiations on revising the list of proposed measures to adjust modalities and timelines and tweaking the decision language. As adopted, the Council decision requests the Secretariat and implementing agencies to work with operational focal points (OFPs) to continue to streamline the project cycle as detailed in the list, along with any required policy amendments to be considered by the 69th Council session in June 2025. It also requests the Secretariat to:

• undertake further analysis and elaboration of options for consideration as part of the preparation for GEF-9 replenishment negotiations; and
• report on implementation of the measures to the 70th Council session.

A second decision, on the Strength of the Partnership, came after considering the Secretariat’s detailed analysis of the resource concentration among the current 18 implementing agencies, and their thematic and geographic coverage, effectiveness and efficiency, and engagement with civil society organizations (CSOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector.

The Council decided to request the Secretariat to:

• develop options to add a limited number of additional implementing agencies to the partnership based on the analysis of agencies’ regional coverage, particularly for LDCs and SIDS;
• strengthen engagement with CSOs, NGOs, and the private sector, for presentation to the June 2025 Council; and
• develop additional options (such as set-asides for agency groups with greater engagement needs, the development of incentive mechanisms, and a targeted outreach program aligned with the GEF’s Country Engagement Strategy) for consideration by the Council at a future meeting.

In his opening remarks to the LDCF/SCCF Council, GEF CEO and and Chairperson and Council Co-Chair Carlos Manuel Rodríguez emphasized that the LDCF and SCCF remain undercapitalized, constraining the GEF’s ability to deliver to LDCs and SIDS on climate change when it is needed most. He urged donors to “step up,” since funds are needed for urgent action now to avoid leaving any LDC or SIDS behind.

Via video remarks to the Council, LDC Group Chair Evans Davie Njewa lamented that some LDCF projects are not being approved due to funding constraints. Saying that “the LDCF is our fund of choice for our climate adaptation needs,” he said “our trust in the LDCF needs to be matched by contributions.” He called on donors to pledge more to the Fund.

The work program approved by the LDCF/SCCF Council totals $106.21 million – $93.61 million for the LDCF and $12.6 million for the SCCF – for eight projects and three programs to address urgent climate change adaptation priorities in nine LDCs and four SIDS. The work program includes three multi-country projects and five national projects.

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The future role of the Global Environment Facility in addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution was clearly front of mind among GEF Council members on Wednesday. Council interaction with high officials from the secretariats of multilateral environment agreements (MEAs) that the GEF serves sparked discussion about the role the GEF must play as their financial mechanism. It also promoted cautionary warnings regarding the dangers of the increasing fragmentation of the financial architecture serving MEAs.

Several MEA heads outlined what they will need from the next GEF Trust Fund replenishment (GEF-9) covering 2026-2030. GEF Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) Chair Rosina Bierbaum also outlined the STAP’s initial thoughts about GEF-9.

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Executive Secretary Astrid Schomaker noted that the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD (COP16) debated creating a new dedicated fund or having the GEF continue in its current role, and requested more GEF support for biosafety. She also reported that the February 2025 resumed COP will focus on resource mobilization and the Convention’s financial mechanism.

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Deputy Executive Secretary Noura Hamladji called for GEF-9 talks to bear in mind the need for:

• simplifying fund access;
• unlocking more private sector investment;
• offering more adaptation funding; and
• promoting more coherence and complementarity among climate funds.

Stephen Mathias, UN Office of Legal Affairs as temporary secretariat of the BBNJ Agreement, stressed the importance of GEF support for BBNJ Agreement-enabling activities and swift ratifications, noting that arrangements for a GEF role in the Agreement will be addressed at the April 2025 Preparatory Commission meeting.

Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions Executive Secretary Rolph Payet welcomed Council approval of the PCBs Elimination Program, which he said will be crucial to meeting the Stockholm Convention’s PCBs deadlines. He highlighted a needs assessment and review of the Convention’s financial mechanism that should inform GEF-9.

Minamata Convention Executive Secretary Monika Stankiewicz expressed concern that use of her convention's share of GEF-8 funds is still under 25% and that mercury projects are not going forward quickly enough for GEF Council or CEO approval.

Houtan Bassiri, UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), shared a recent study finding that $355 billion in annual investments will be needed in the 2025-2030 period in order to achieve UNCCD targets and projections, showing a likely funding mobilization gap of about $278 billion.

Reacting to proposals for a new standalone fund for biodiversity, beyond the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund managed by the GEF, several Council members cautioned against fragmentation of the financial architecture, preferring to focus on addressing the shortcomings of existing funds with great internal capacity and experience, such as the GEF. Some recipient countries countered by saying that the GEF needs to strike a better balance between its promotion of integrated approaches and serving basic MEA implementation needs for developing countries. Other members suggested that the GEF redouble its efforts to communicate to negotiators its capacities and achievements and the catalytic role it plays in attracting co-financing.

In her report, STAP Chair Bierbaum offered seven recommendations regarding GEF-9, including:

• building on the GEF theory of change to drive portfolio-wide investment;
• investing in innovation and managing risk;
• supporting policy coherence; and
• enabling civil society to get more involved.

At the end of the day’s session, the Council decided to request the GEF Trustee to launch GEF-9 negotiations in January 2025, with a view to concluding them by April 2026 so that GEF operations can continue smoothly when GEF-8 expires on June 30, 2026. The GEF CSO Network and several Council members urged that GEF-9 talks be inclusive of civil society, listen to recipient country voices, and match needs with ambition.

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On Tuesday, the Global Environment Facility Council debated proposals to streamline the project cycle submitted by a Council Working Group. Council members also considered the evaluations and recommendations of the GEF Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) on: the GEF’s Results Based Management (RBM) Systems; GEF programs in Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS); and the GEF chemicals and waste focal area. In addition, the IEO briefed Council members on forthcoming evaluations through its Semi-Annual Evaluation Report.

On streamlining the GEF project cycle, the Council considered a comprehensive list of proposals that cover the GEF Secretariat, implementing agencies, and operational focal points (OFPs). While Council members welcomed the ambition and general thrust of the proposals, some raised concerns about the proposed implementation timetable and process and whether all the tradeoffs involved are well understood. After a lengthy debate, members decided that the proposed decision would be revised for further discussion on Wednesday.

Regarding the IEO’s Semi-Annual Evaluation Report, IEO Director Geeta Batra outlined a series of reports due to be issued and/or presented to Council in 2025, including on nature-based solutions, socioeconomic co-benefits of GEF interventions, and an evaluation of GEF interventions in international waters. The IEO will also present in 2025 the Eighth Comprehensive Evaluation (OPS8) of the GEF, which will inform negotiations on the ninth replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund (GEF-9).

On chemicals and waste projects and programs, the IEO evaluation made four recommendations, namely to:

• strengthen the focus on policy and regulatory reforms, awareness, and communications;
• strengthen regulatory frameworks and further engagement with the broader private sector;
• ensure that investments in autoclaves, laboratory equipment, and other machinery for chemicals and waste management, associated with indigenous or imported technologies, are fully utilized; and
• integrate health co-benefit indicators into project designs and monitoring frameworks.

The Council endorsed the management response, which embraced all four recommendations.

Regarding Pacific SIDS, the IEO evaluation made three recommendations, namely to:

• enhance coordination and collaboration to maximize development impact and resource efficiency;
• strengthen program effectiveness by further improving the alignment and operational delivery between Pacific SIDS parent programs and their associated child projects; and
• prioritize robust institutional capacity development to ensure program success and enduring impact.

The Secretariat agreed with the first two recommendations and embraced three of five components of the third IEO recommendation, citing limited GEF influence over country-driven choices taken in the context of local cultural norms. One of the aspects the Secretariat did embrace was considering the accreditation of Pacific regional organizations as GEF implementing agencies, which the Secretariat suggested should be taken up during the GEF-9 replenishment negotiations. The Council endorsed the management response.

On RBM Systems, the IEO recommended that the GEF should:

• review its metrics for portfolio effectiveness and efficiency to ensure they remain relevant and aligned with ongoing reforms;
• enhance its results measurement framework to be able to track and report on systemic and transformative changes;
• prioritize developing user-friendly functionalities and features for the GEF Portal; and
• explicitly address fragile, conflict-affected, and violent contexts by developing targeted guidance for monitoring and evaluation practices in such contexts and ensuring that relevant indicators are incorporated into project design.

The Secretariat signaled full agreement with the last three recommendations, but only partial agreement regarding metrics, while noting that metrics reform will be considered in the context of the GEF-9 replenishment negotiations. The Council endorsed the management response.

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On its opening day, the 68th meeting of the Global Environment Facility Council approved a work program heavy with projects and programs on chemicals and waste. The Council also reviewed and welcomed the GEF Monitoring Report 2024, which disclosed positive achievements in portfolio performance and in enhancing the effectiveness of projects and programs during the period July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.

In his opening remarks, GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez noted a recent report on planetary health showing all indicators flashing red, as well as troubles at recent biodiversity, climate, and desertification Conferences of the Parties (COPs) and in negotiations for a global plastics treaty. He said this all underscored that “the decisions we take over the next 12-18 months are critical,” including those regarding the ninth replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund (GEF-9).

Noting that the Monitoring Report shows the GEF has delivered on environmental benefits while improving on delivery metrics, Rodríguez emphasized that both the Secretariat and GEF implementing agencies are undertaking reforms aimed at achieving greater collaboration, more efficiency, and improved impact.

The work program approved by the Council totals $564.3 million, including agency fees, bringing programming for the GEF-8 to almost 70.5% of the GEF-8 funds. It comprises 31 projects and programs, with $253.4 million (about 45% of the total) allocated for chemicals and waste; $159 million for biodiversity, climate change, and land degradation; $46 million for international waters; and $39.9 million for non-grant instruments (NGIs). Among the 133 recipient countries, 45 are Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and 37 are Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

During the Council discussion on the proposed work program, many members praised its emphasis on bringing the chemicals and waste cluster up to speed, its broad inclusion of LDCs and SIDS, the high co-financing ratios and private sector participation expected, and the innovative NGIs included. The Indigenous Peoples Advisory Group (IPAG) praised the program’s Inclusive Conservation Initiative (ICI) and its role in strengthening Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) institutions, increasing direct funding flows, and enhancing recognition of IPLCs’ stewardship of territories, ecosystems, natural resources, and biodiversity. 

The concern most raised by Council members was that over 60% of work program resources is concentrated in just four UN agencies, with many members calling for greater diversification in future work programs and more involvement by the multilateral development banks (MDBs).

As for the Monitoring Report 2024, it indicated:

• significant results across five environmental areas, with Agencies now utilizing the current results architecture at scale for reporting; and
• advances, shown in the active portfolio, in achieving environmental results on the ground and with quality.

In presenting the report, the Secretariat highlighted a new section presenting the first risk profile of GEF projects under implementation along the three dimensions of context, innovation, and execution. The new section found that risk remains lower than stated risk appetite levels on average, except in LDCs and in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

Council members asked the Secretariat about possible issues identified in the report, such as the need to improve on shortening the time from CEO endorsement to project fund disbursement. They also suggested several ways to enhance disclosure in the Monitoring Report. The Secretariat promised to take the feedback into account. The Council adopted a decision welcoming the report and the continued implementation of the GEF-8 Results Measurement Framework and the GEF Risk Appetite.

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