Photo credit: Elias Garcia Cabrera/World Bank
Member governments and partners of the Global Environment Facility met in Paris from May 20-21 to discuss priorities and ambitions for the multilateral trust fund’s next four-year funding cycle that will run from July 2026 to June 2030.
The meetings brought together representatives of donor and recipient countries, civil society, and observers from the wider partnership, including implementing agencies, environmental conventions, and the private sector, to formally start discussions about the ninth replenishment cycle (GEF-9).
The GEF-9 investment period aligns with a crucial time for the world to make progress toward 2030 environmental goals, and growing inter-related threats including biodiversity loss, pollution, and a rapidly warming planet.
The meeting was opened by Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Sea and Fisheries of France, who highlighted the importance of ensuring a higher level of ambition in GEF-9 alongside efficiency, equity, versatility, and accessibility.
“The global environmental crisis is intensifying, but we can change this course,” said GEF CEO and Chairperson, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez. “The next four years are make-or-break for 2030 global biodiversity and other targets, and strong support for GEF-9 will be vital to help achieve them. We’ve seen good progress in Paris in this regard.”
“This first meeting was a very important starting point to set the tone and strategic direction for the replenishment. We’ve received valuable inputs and guidance in shaping the strategic positioning, programming directions, and policy agenda for GEF-9,” Rodríguez continued. “I applaud the participants for signaling a collective resolve for ambitious plans and priorities at this critical time for the health of people and the planet.”
The GEF CEO told the meeting that GEF-9 will build on lessons learned and achievements of the current eighth funding cycle. The organization has undertaken reforms and restructuring to speed up the distribution of funds and ensure its investments are effective and impactful.
It included presentations on intended strategic programming directions and policy, and a report by the GEF Independent Evaluation Office on recent evaluation findings. The meeting was co-hosted with the World Bank, which acts as the GEF Trustee.
The next formal replenishment meeting is scheduled to be held in Botswana from October 8-10, 2025. A final decision about the size and ambition of the GEF-9 funding envelope is expected to be taken in 2026.