Shanghai World Expo 2010 Holds "Honor Day" for the GEF

Shanghai/Washington DC, July 20, 2010 - Organizers of the world’s largest exposition held in Shanghai, China, the World Expo 2010, today celebrated the longstanding commitment of the Global Environment Facility to boost sustainable development in China through local investments that bring global benefits across the developing world.

The GEF had the unique honor of being the only international financial organization to have a special day of recognition in addition to a exhibition space at the expo.
At the Honor Day, high level representatives of the Chinese government and the GEF agencies UNDP, World Bank, UNIDO and ADB recognized the achievements the GEF made with its investments in environmental projects in China over the past 19 years.

“Over the past 19 years, the GEF has funded about 100 projects in China, representing $820 million in grant financing with another $7 billion leveraged by the government, businesses, civil society, and other ”, said Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility.

World Expo 2010, GEF Photo Gallery

Barbut and Chinese officials in their remarks cited how the GEF portfolio has strived to build a sustainable future by focusing on the kind of interconnected global environmental challenges facing all nations of the world including China: climate change, biodiversity, dangerous pesticides in food and water,and food security .

On the climate change front for example, with GEF support, China became the first developing country to demonstrate commercial operation of clean, efficient, hydrogen fuel-cell bus, first in Beijing at the Olympics and now in Shanghai at the World Expo.

These demonstrations have spurred interest from both the public and the private sector to invest in low-carbon alternatives for public transportation throughout China. And outside urban centers, GEF has also made significant impacts in villages and towns by working with Chinese officials to invest in energy efficiency solutions that keep local manufacturing plants open while slashing toxic pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. By promoting renewable energy to rural households, local officials have improved land and water management to reduce poverty and increase climate resilience.

About the GEF

The GEF unites 182 countries in partnership with international institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), 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 independent 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 $9 billion in grants and leveraging $40 billion in co-financing for over 2,600 projects in over 165 countries.