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One key tool we use to share knowledge about the GEF is the Expanded Constituency Workshops (ECWs). These workshops were born out of a need for stakeholders within governments who are responsible for GEF activities – called GEF “focal points” – to understand how we work and provide clear expectations of their responsibilities. Photo: Ksenia Ragozina/Shutterstock.

Demystifying the GEF at a workshop in Latin America

Uruguay is a country whose economy was built on cattle grazing. It has rolling hills, a temperate climate, sprawling beaches, and no difficult-to-access areas, like jungles, dense forests, or mountainous regions. But while in some countries cattle farming is a driver of deforestation, in Uruguay it…
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A new drive for cooperation is propelling civil society, labour leaders, company CEOs and some governments to join together to bind business, communities and policy makers into new forms of common environmental action. Photo: Humannet/Shutterstock

A new green revolution can fix our relationship with the Earth by 2030

Extraordinary collaboration is succeeding where national and international government action alone has so far failed For years, big environmental problems were for governments and international organisations to solve. But despite all their efforts the state of the global environmental commons has…
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As part of our mission to protect globally important biodiversity, the GEF supports protection of endangered species around the world by securing their habitats and combating the illegal wildlife trade. Photo: Sretachok.P Oat/Shutterstock.

Save our species: an Earth Day "Did you know?"

April 22 is Earth Day and the theme this year is protecting endangered species. Beyond the beauty of the coral reefs, the majesty of whales, and the lovability of baby sea turtles, these species maintain ecosystems that are vital to our way of life. Nothing in the world exists on its own. As part…
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Partnership model: some Japanese fishing communities benefited from responsible resourcing. Photo: Marco Scotto/Shutterstock.

We can turn the tragedy of the global commons into an opportunity

The global commons are being pushed to breaking point, so coalitions are forming to protect them and to build lasting prosperity My country, Japan, was long dependent on fishing. In the past, every fisherman in a coastal community would be tempted to catch as much as possible. When everyone did so…
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Three quick lessons that teach us to love our forests

Forests are integral to our lives in complex ways that we are only beginning to understand. From reducing stress to carbon sequestering and climate regulation, they play a large role in our health and our planet’s health. March 21 is the International Day of Forests and this year’s theme centers on…
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The GEF’s Policy on Gender Equality, adopted in 2017, marks GEF’s increased ambition to collaborate with governments, the private sector, and civil society to catalyze projects and actions that have the potential to materialize greater environmental impact through gender-responsive approaches and results. Photo: Pierre-Yves Babelon/Shutterstock.

Celebrating women's contribution to global environmental sustainability

On International Women’s Day, GEF is celebrating women’s unique role in and contribution to safeguarding the global environment Addressing inequalities in areas like control over natural resources and participation in decision-making contribute to greater gender equality, help women play more…
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Working across production, financing and demand, the Good Growth Partnership convenes a wide range of stakeholders and initiatives to reduce deforestation and enable sustainable development in three global commodity supply chains: soy, beef and palm oil. Photo: Muhd Fuad Abd Rahim/Shutterstock.

How finance can reduce deforestation

“My sister is the one who got the finance degree and worked on Wall Street. When I finished school, I moved to Borneo to save the rainforests and orangutans.” I was joking at a recent meeting on financing of commodities supply chains organized by the GEF’s Good Growth Partnership (GGP). It was a…
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Congo Basin rainforest is a shared global asset that is critical to the planet’s health. And, like the increasingly rare great apes that inhabit it, this asset is in desperate need of protection. Photo: Sergey Uryadnikov/Shutterstock.

The Congo Basin is critical to the health of our planet

Lowland and swamp forests, forest savannas, and the mighty Congo river make up the 500 million acres of the Congo Basin, the second largest tropical rainforest on the planet. When standing below the trees, the vaulted canopy of leaves blocks out most of the sunlight and traps moisture making a trek…
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The Marshall Islands is convening an entirely online Virtual Summit of the Climate Vulnerable Forum on 22 November 2018. Photo: Shutterstock.

First-ever Virtual Climate Summit to urge for greater action on global warming

The world’s first-ever Virtual Climate Summit will take place tomorrow, November 22, to renew political momentum in tackling climate change. Announcing the summit at the 6th GEF Assembly in Da Nang Hilda Heine, the President of the Marshall Islands and Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF)…
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Our Ocean Conference 2018 was held in Bali this week to further global action on maintaining the sustainability of our oceans. Photo: Wonderful Nature/Shutterstock.

From political will to financial commitments: six stories illustrate the Our Ocean 2018 Conference in action

Our actions today have never had a bigger impact on our future than they do now. Under this premise the Our Ocean Conference 2018 was held in Bali this week to further global action on maintaining the sustainability of our oceans. Millions of people depend on ocean for their lives and livelihoods.…

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