69th GEF Council Meeting

From chemical and water pollution to climate change and biodiversity loss, a wide range of environmental challenges are placing the Earth under severe stress. These challenges require urgent action and, although key success factors include country ownership, stakeholder engagement, and well-designed interventions, an indisputable requirement for addressing global environmental challenges is access to finance. The primary function of the Global Environment Facility is to provide funding to developing countries and countries with economies in transition to support them in their efforts towards meeting international environmental goals. Through its “family” of trust funds, the GEF supports initiatives that address these challenges and promote sustainable development and environmental resilience. The Council for each trust fund is responsible for approving funding for projects and programs, reviewing evaluations of performance, and adopting budgets and programming directions.

In back-to-back meetings, the Councils of the GEF Trust Fund, Least Developed Countries Fund/Special Climate Change Fund (LDCF/SCCF), and Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) convened from June 2-6, 2025. The three Councils approved work programs that total $256.13 million and are expected to mobilize over $3 billion in co-financing. The work programs include 21 projects and programs that will address environmental challenges related to: biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, and chemicals and waste. The approved projects and programs will also support transboundary cooperation in shared marine and freshwater ecosystems through the International Waters Focal Area.

The GEF Trust Fund work program amounts to $190.9 million and comprises 12 projects and two programs that will take place in 35 countries, 17 of which are Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Included in the newly adopted work program is the Global Elimination of Mercury in Non-Ferrous Metals Initiative (GEMINI) program, through which the GEF Trust Fund will support the goals of the Minamata Convention on Mercury using a multi-faceted strategy that combines policy reform, financial support, technical assistance, and knowledge sharing. The Elimination of Mercury-Added Skin Lightening Products in Africa project will support countries to scale up efforts to eliminate mercury from skin creams, targeting physical and online sales channels. The work program also includes a Science-based Management of Biodiversity and Natural Resources project in Madagascar, which will introduce an outcome payment bond – the “Lemur Bond" – to leverage capital markets to fund biodiversity conservation.

In addition, Council members considered the Progress Report on the Implementation of the GEF Policy on Communication and Visibility, which highlights progress made in raising awareness about the GEF and its role in addressing global environmental challenges. During the discussion of this agenda item, GEF CEO, Chairperson, and Council Co-chair Carlos Manuel Rodríguez emphasized the need to effectively communicate to both recipient and donor countries about the GEF’s work and the real impact it is making on the ground.

The LDCF work program, adopted by the LDCF/SCCF Council, amounts to $39.55 million and includes national projects in Madagascar, Solomon Islands, and Uganda, as well as a regional program covering Chad and Mali. The projects and program will address climate change adaptation priorities in these five LDCs, including one LDC-SIDS (Solomon Islands).

In his remarks to the Council, Evans Njewa, LDC Group Chair, highlighted that the projects focus on innovation and whole-of-society approaches, but expressed concern about the gap between funding demand and supply, noting that seven technically-cleared proposals had to be deferred due to a lack of resources.

The second-ever GBFF work program amounts to $25.68 million and includes provisions to ensure that 30% of the funding will support efforts by Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs). The program includes national projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Peru, and a regional project covering Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and the Republic of the Congo. These projects support commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and will promote sustainable biodiversity management and community wellbeing.

The Council also accepted the offer made by the Government of Uzbekistan to host the 8th GEF Assembly and 71st Council meeting, which will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, during the week that begins on May 31, 2026.

At the conclusion of the five-day meeting, Council members were generally pleased with the progress and evaluations of the programs and projects that are underway for the eighth replenishment period for the GEF Trust Fund (GEF-8). However, the June 2025 Council meetings took place in the shadow of the recently commenced negotiations for the ninth replenishment period, which many expect will be challenging due to shifting geopolitics and donor priorities. The negotiations are expected to conclude prior to the 8th GEF Assembly.    

The Council meetings took place from June 2-6, 2025 in Washington DC, US. The meetings were preceded by an online consultation among civil society organizations (CSOs) and the GEF Council on 29 May 2025. In addition to representatives from Council Member countries, Implementing Agencies, and conventions for which the GEF serves as a financial mechanism, representatives from the GEF CSO Network, the Indigenous Peoples Advisory Group (IPAG), women, youth, and other civil society constituencies participated in the Councils’ deliberations.

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On Friday morning, the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) Council opened its fourth meeting to consider, among other things, the second GBFF work program and the fund’s first evaluation. The Council approved the work program, which comprises national projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Peru, and a regional project covering Cameroon, Central African Republic, and the Republic of Congo. The work program amounts to $25.68 million, with an average of 30% directed to support Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs). It is expected to mobilize $42.53 million in co-financing.

The day’s deliberations also included the first evaluation of the GBFF undertaken by the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO). Presenting the evaluation, Geeta Batra, IEO, noted it is “formative” due to the early development and implementation of the GBFF. Mentioning the GBFF portfolio now comprises 40 projects in 41 different countries and four regions, she highlighted the fund’s strengths, such as: targeted focus on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) objectives; value added through strategic alignment with the Global Environment Facility (GEF); and the inclusive approach with IPLCs, small island developing States (SIDS), and the least developed countries (LDCs). She further presented the IEO’s recommendations to the GBFF, which include clearly defining a coordination strategy with GEF to avoid fragmentation, broadening resource mobilization, and clarifying project selection criteria and performance indicators.

The Council further considered the GBFF Progress Report, which noted the need for an increase in biodiversity-related international financial flows to the GBFF in order to support the KMGBF’s goals. The Progress Report highlighted slow progress in achieving the GBFF’s target of programming 25% of the fund’s resources through international financing institutions (IFIs), and suggested this merits further Council deliberation. Consequently, the Council requested: the Secretariat to develop a resource mobilization strategy for the GBFF; and the Auxiliary Body to discuss options to facilitate achievement of the 25% IFI target.

In presenting the GBFF Administrative Budget and Business Plan for fiscal year 2026, the Secretariat highlighted key proposed activities, including launching a second GBFF programming tranche, developing IPLC guidelines, updating the GBFF results framework, and presenting a GBFF resource mobilization strategy. She noted the requested budget is 25.5% less than that of fiscal year 2025, reflecting cost-reduction measures adopted by the Secretariat. Council members and observers welcomed the administrative budget and business plan, but several raised concerns about the impact of the cost reduction on the Secretariat’s workload and implementation of projects. The Secretariat assured the Council that this reduction is a result of, for instance, holding more virtual meetings instead of in-person meetings, and will not affect performance. The Council then approved the budget and business plan.

Closing the GBFF Council meeting, GEF CEO, Chairperson, and Council Co-Chair Carlos Manuel Rodríguez thanked Richard Bontjer, GEF Council Co-chair for 2025, Council members, observers, and the Secretariat for their hard work. He noted that despite it being a complex year, the Council meetings demonstrated that the global community can reach agreement on complex issues. He looked forward to what lies ahead for the GEF family of funds and closed the GBFF Council meeting at 3:19 pm.

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The 69th meeting of the Global Environment Facility Council and the 38th meeting of the Least Developed Countries Fund/Special Climate Change Fund (LDCF/SCCF) Council concluded their deliberations on Thursday afternoon. At the closing session for each meeting, Council members confirmed the Co-chairs’ Summaries, which compiled the decisions taken over the last four days of meetings.

LDCF/SCCF Council members focused on evaluating and assessing the funds’ performance and progress. The Secretariat presented the Annual Monitoring Review of the LDCF and SCCF for the 2024 fiscal year, underscoring that: active SCCF and LDCF portfolios are progressing well; women in the private sector continue to be supported; and the overall risk rating level remained comparable to the previous fiscal year. They shared some key success factors including: strong country ownership and stakeholder engagement; early consultation with meaningful participation of local actors; and livelihood support especially for women.

Presenting the Progress Report on the Funds, the GEF Secretariat reported that since the SCCF’s inception, projects have had 9.53 million direct beneficiaries, with 271,688 people trained and 5.3 million hectares of land better managed to withstand the effects of climate change. They also discussed the Challenge Program for Adaptation Innovation, under which 13 project concepts won the third round of funding to test and validate scalable and bankable investment models and technologies. During the discussion of this report, the CSO Network stressed that the voluntary nature of LDCF/SCCF replenishment hinders predictable, adequate, and sustainable financing, affecting both efficiency and transparency in program delivery. The CSO Network called on the LDCF/SCCF Council to:

• institutionalize a 20% minimum direct funding allocation within the portfolio for civil society organizations, women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs);
• establish dedicated funding windows for climate-smart education initiatives, particularly those led by youth, women, and IPLCs, to build local capacity, raise awareness, and foster long-term resilience; and
• develop new indicators that capture justice, agency, and resilience.

The Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) also presented the Funds’ Annual Evaluation Report, which focused on the 33 LDCF and SCCF projects completed since 2023. They highlighted that while the evaluation revealed strong performance overall, sustainability remains a concern across the project portfolio. The IEO reported 88% of projects achieved outcome ratings within the satisfactory range, with no project receiving unsatisfactory ratings, but also none achieving the highest sustainability ratings. They outlined key success factors including community ownership, alignment with national priorities, gender inclusion, and strong monitoring systems. They also identified barriers, highlighting institutional constraints, funding gaps and, for some projects, political instability.

In addition, Council members received an update on the development of the GEF Programming Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change for the Funds, and approved the 2026 Work Program and Budget for the IEO under the LDCF and the SCCF.

The day’s deliberations closed with a video showcasing the Fonseca Leadership Program, which was created in honor of the late Gustavo Fonseca, to train young conservationists from developing countries and countries with economies in transition. The video featured testimonies and appreciation from the first Fonseca fellows.

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Venezuela has just become the second nation to lose all its glaciers; the Birch Glacier above the Swiss village of Blatten recently collapsed causing a landslide that has buried most of the village; clown fish are shrinking to cope with increasing heat waves; and, in 2024, forest fires were the biggest cause of tropical forest loss for the first time ever. These were some of the recent impacts of climate change that the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) reported to the 69th meeting of the Global Environment Facility Council on Wednesday.

Presenting the STAP report, STAP Chair Rosina Bierbaum reviewed new science, recent STAP activities, key messages from recent STAP reports, and STAP’s observations on the GEF work program. On recent STAP activities, she highlighted consultations with Indigenous Peoples to inform a STAP information note on strengthening GEF Support for Indigenous Peoples, as well as training for GEF agencies on how to develop systems-based theory of change and clarify risks with an emphasis on innovation risks.

On other agenda items, the Council adopted policy amendments needed to implement previously-considered measures to streamline the GEF project cycle. The Council also accepted the offer by the Government of Uzbekistan to host the 8th GEF Assembly and 71st Council meeting, which will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, during the week that begins on May 31, 2026.

Immediately following the closure of the 69th GEF Council meeting, the 38th meeting of the Least Developed Countries Fund/Special Climate Change Fund (LDCF/SCCF) Council opened. GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez noted Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are the countries that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and face the greatest challenges. However, he highlighted that they are building their resilience with nature-positive solutions. He said GEF funding is catalytic and strategic, and is linking adaptation to energy access, gender equality, and early warning systems.

Evans Njewa, Chair of the LDC Group, highlighted that projects in the proposed LDCF work program focus on innovation and whole-of-society approaches. However, he expressed deep concern with regards to the gap between demand and supply of funding, noting that seven technically-cleared proposals are not included in the work program due to a lack of sufficient resources.

Presenting the LDCF work program, Chizuru Aoki and Olusola Ikuforiji, GEF Secretariat, explained that it comprises three projects and one program, and includes proposals to be implemented in three fragile and conflict-affected countries. They further clarified that the work program does not include SCCF projects, as the Secretariat did not receive any concept notes for SCCF support. The Council adopted the work program, which amounts to $39.55 million and is expected to mobilize $511.18 million in co-financing. The work pogram includes national projects in Madagascar, Solomon Islands, and Uganda, and a regional program covering Chad and Mali. The projects and program will address urgent climate change adaptation priorities in these five LDCs, including one LDC-SIDS (Solomon Islands).

The Council also approved the Administrative Budget and Business Plan for the LDCF and SCCF for fiscal year 2026. 

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Executive secretaries and senior representatives of seven multilateral environmental agreement (MEA) secretariats gathered on Tuesday morning for an interactive dialogue with the 69th meeting of the Global Environment Facility Council, where speakers emphasized the need for integrated action and collaboration. Convention representatives identified some of their key priorities both for the rest of the eighth replenishment cycle (GEF-8) and for GEF-9.

Opening the dialogue, GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez welcomed the leaders to a talk-show style format he called “Executive Secretaries Series: Season 1.” The executive secretaries and representatives then shared outcomes from the latest sessions of their conferences of the parties (COPs) that are relevant to the GEF-9 discussions.

Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions Rolph Payet emphasized that the May BRS COPs demonstrated that multilateralism is strong and active. He noted that the Conventions are operating at a global level but have significant impacts for supply chains, small and medium-sized enterprises, and other national-level actors.

Louise Baker, UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Secretariat, said financing pledges announced during UNCCD COP16 can be leveraged to address drought. She highlighted that COP17 in 2026 will focus on rangelands, livestock, and their social and economic benefits, among other topics.

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Simon Stiell said the Standing Committee on Finance is examining lessons from the achievement of the $100 billion climate finance goal to inform efforts to deliver the new collective quantified goal of $300 billion and to scale up to $1.3 trillion. He noted the value of coordination among funding mechanisms.

Yibin Xiang, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat, said CBD COP16 will be remembered for the high-level pledging conference orchestrated by the GEF team for the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF). He noted that COP 16.2 delivered a monitoring framework that will be used by both the CBD and GEF.

Minamata Convention Executive Secretary Monika Stankiewicz highlighted that the GEF Secretariat has insight into multiple MEAs, which she said is unique among funding mechanisms. She noted the value of GEF programming and engagement with countries in support of the 2025 phase-out of certain uses of mercury.

Vladimir Jares, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, reported on the status of ratifications for the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). He highlighted that 28 ratifications have been submitted to date, with more expected to be announced during the upcoming UN Ocean Conference, and noted the importance of the Agreement’s first COP in determining its trajectory.

Ivonne Higuero, Executive Secretary, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), highlighted that although CITES is not served by the GEF, it still benefits from GEF-funded projects. She cited the GEF Global Wildlife Program, which contains elements relevant to CITES implementation, and called for GEF-9 to focus on integration and projects with co-benefits for multiple multilateral agreements.

Council members welcomed the GEF’s cooperation with Conventions and other international institutions and urged the GEF to continue reinforcing synergies and coherence. They then engaged in a discussion with the MEA representatives on the impact of GEF-funded projects in achieving MEA implementation.

The case of the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) was highlighted as one of the GEF’s success stories. Onno van den Heuvel, Head of the Biodiversity Finance Portfolio, UN Development Programme, described BIOFIN's work in supporting countries to develop and implement strategies for biodiversity finance. He described the GEF’s support for the design and implementation of biodiversity finance plans in 91 countries to close the “biodiversity finance gap.”

For the rest of the day, Council members heard presentations from and engaged with the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) on the reports of their evaluations of: the Annual Performance Report 2025; the International Waters Focal Area; the Socioeconomic Co-benefits of GEF-funded Interventions; and GEF Support for Nature-Based Solutions. Council members also adopted draft amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding between the UNFCCC COP and GEF Council. 

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On the first day of the 69th meeting of the Global Environment Facility Council, Council members approved the sixth work program under the current replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund (GEF-8). The approved work program amounts to $190.9 million and is expected to mobilize a further $2.6 billion in co-financing. It brings the total programming for the GEF-8 cycle to 75%. The Council also approved the FY26 corporate budget from the GEF Trust Fund of $45.306 million.

On a progress report on the GEF Visibility Policy, GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manual Rodríguez said the Secretariat will engage with Council members for communications within their own countries. Council members supported the effort to raise the visibility of GEF projects in both donor and recipient countries, among other options.

The day’s considerations ended with Council members considering a proposal to add up to three additional agencies to the GEF Partnership, with a focus on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The proposal, presented by the Secretariat, would comprise two pathways:

• a standard process expected to last around 10-16 months, and comprising screening of potential agencies, a targeted invitation for an expression of interest, an independent panel assessment, Council approval, and legal and operational arrangements with the Trustee; and
• a fast-track process expected to last 8-12 months, with an expedited stage for entities that are already accredited by both the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund.

Council members agreed with the benefits of a fast-track mechanism, with some suggesting that it be faster than 8-12 months. Speakers also called for a gap analysis for consideration by the Council in December 2025. The Council then adopted the draft decision on this item, calling for a gap analysis to assess the feasibility of a fast-track approach, followed by a proposal on procedures for agency expansion for consideration at the 71st Council meeting.

During remarks, Rodríguez reported that GEF-8 is on course to achieve its targets, noting among other achievements that co-financing has exceeded agreed targets. He stressed that progress on the intertwined and urgent challenges that the GEF addresses will be essential for achieving global objectives by 2030, and called attention to current political challenges that are impacting international environmental finance. Rodríguez also underlined the need to drive policy coherence and adopt a whole-of-society approach that cuts across all stakeholder levels.

The work program generated a lot of discussion among Council members. Most members expressed support for the program, welcoming the balanced distribution of resources across focal areas and geographic regions, and the work program’s alignment with GEF-8 priority areas. They welcomed initiatives such as the Global Elimination of Mercury in Non-ferrous Metals Initiative (GEMINI) and the Africa regional program to eliminate mercury-added skin lightening products.

Council members however expressed concern with the concentration of resources in a few agencies, and urged the GEF to continue working to diversify resource allocation among agencies. The GEF CSO Network called on more recipient countries to become donors, while a Council Member questioned why a country that is no longer considered a developing country still receives GEF funding.

Council members also considered the report of the GEF-8 Midterm Review on Performance of Full Flexibility, which reviews the GEF-8 “full flexibility” modality by which countries can use their GEF-8 System for Transparent Allocation of Resources (STAR) resources across their focal area allocations without restrictions. Presenting the report, the Secretariat said that while the aggregate net flow of full flexibility is minimal, with a net flow of only 3% of STAR allocations, this modality has been instrumental SIDS, LDCs, and countries with smaller STAR allocations, which have the greatest usage and demand for flexibility. They noted its role in improving coherence and integration, and reducing fragmentation in the country portfolio landscape. Most Council members, therefore, supported retaining full flexibility in GEF-9 and future cycles, while highlighting the need for continued review of the modality’s performance.

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