Catalyzing systemic change through policy coherence

The creation of laws, policies, agencies, and institutions to protect nature and reverse current environmental trends can only go so far if activities that are harmful to ecosystems are being implemented concurrently. Such misalignments and contradictions of public policies and governance are feeding into the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution, inhibiting individual livelihoods, economic development, national progress, and global environmental stability.

“Nature positive governance” is an institutional setting that can help the world move from a nature-negative path to one that is nature-positive. Achieving this requires a paradigm shift towards greater policy coherence at all levels of government and decision-making – ensuring that policy actions across all government agencies and departments are mutually reinforcing and support progress towards the same goals.

Without such policy coherence, there will be obstacles towards the achievement of the 2030 environmental goals and targets due to the drag from environmentally harmful activities.

This is why the Global Environment Facility is working with countries to mainstream policy coherence into international and national policy processes as a key mechanism to reverse current environmental trends and achieve nature-positive targets. These efforts to generate environmental benefits, in line with national priorities and international environmental goals, aim to support lasting positive changes on a much larger scale through what is known as a whole-of-government approach.

For the GEF, this is not an entirely new approach – policy coherence has been addressed through our programming in various ways since its inception. In the current funding cycle (GEF-8), policy coherence was explicitly integrated as a cross-cutting priority through various initiatives. Looking ahead to the next four years, GEF-9 programming will similarly be anchored in whole-of-government approaches that foster policy coherence and enable cross-sectoral integration for environmental benefits.

The flagship initiative of these efforts to date has been the STAR Competitive Window, which supports projects that aim to strengthen national policy coherence in some of the largest GEF recipient countries. Four projects within this funding window, totaling approximately $32 million in grants, have recently been approved. These initiatives aim to achieve diverse objectives, such as establishing a unified data framework to support decision making, reforming incentive structures of development funds to align with sustainability objectives, developing national policies, and enhancing coordination mechanisms for the governance of key ecological spaces.

Beyond this funding window, other dedicated GEF initiatives are also advancing policy coherence. An ongoing project, Policy Coherence for Environmental Benefits works with members of legislature in Colombia, Mongolia, and Zambia to promote coherent legal frameworks at all levels of government and align financial resources. Similarly, Accelerating Rapid Transition of Subsidies and Incentives (ARTSI) is developing an innovative funding mechanism to support incentive reform and will pilot country projects.

Beyond programming, a whole-of-government approach and policy coherence are key components of GEF’s Country Engagement Strategy, the framework through which we engage with country stakeholders. For example, the establishment of GEF National Steering Committees has brought together key ministries and stakeholders to promote participatory decision-making of GEF resources and strengthen cross sectoral coordination. Several GEF recipient countries have maintained exemplary, long-lasting National Steering Committees, and new ones are being developed. Similarly, the GEF’s ongoing participation in country-led platforms is further helping to integrate our financing into broader national development efforts and enhance synergies among development actors while minimizing trade-offs. 

Looking ahead, knowledge and learning activities will provide further opportunities to advance a whole-of-government approach within the GEF partnership, building on efforts to date including a high-level conference during the most recent biodiversity Conference of the Parties in Colombia that focused on CBD COP16 brought together policymakers, stakeholders, and experts to discuss practical ways and recommendations on the achievement of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s Target 18, as well as knowledge products that have established the guiding principles for Nature-Positive Governance.

What is clear is that whole-of-government approaches and policy coherence are more than concepts – these can be catalysts for systemic and lasting change. By embedding these across programs, strategies, and partnerships, the GEF is helping countries unlock practical, transformative solutions for nature-positive governance and a nature-positive future.