Chemicals and Waste
The GEF is charged with eliminating the most harmful chemicals, which are covered by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Minamata Convention on Mercury, and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
GEF Guidance on Gender Equality
The GEF Council approved a new GEF Policy on Gender Equality (GEF, 2017c) in November 2017. The Policy marks GEF’s increased ambition to ensure gender equality and promote women’s empowerment across its operations. The new Policy responds to the recommendations of the Independent Evaluation Office’s Evaluation of Gender Mainstreaming in the GEF (GEF, 2017a), which was endorsed by GEF Council in May 2017, which found that “there has only been a limited increase in the percentage of projects rated gender sensitive or gender mainstreamed.”
The Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT)
The Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) supports developing countries to build institutional and technical capacity, both pre- and post-2020, to meet enhanced transparency requirements as defined in Article 13 of the Paris Agreement.
The GEF and Climate Change - Catalyzing Transformation
We are at a defining moment in time.
The recent IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C confirmed unequivocally that we are already seeing negative impacts of climate change: sea level rise and more extreme droughts and storms. The negative impacts often hit the poor and vulnerable the most—exactly those who have contributed the least to the problem in the first place.
The IPCC Report also illustrates that unfortunately we are not even close to being on track to limit warming to 1.5° C. Neither are we on track to deliver on the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement.
Financing Adaptation to Climate Change at the Global Environment Facility
The GEF supports adaptation to climate change in developing countries through the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), which supports urgent, medium and long-term adaptation needs in least developed countries (LDCF), and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), accessible by all developing countries. Established in 2001 at COP 7, the two funds also support implementation of the Paris Agreement.
UNFCCC: Guidance from the Conference of the Parties and Responses by the GEF COP1 – COP23
The GEF continually incorporates COP guidance into its programs and operations, as described annually in its report to the COP. As a complementary publication to the GEF’s annual report, this booklet summarizes all guidance to the GEF dating from the first COP to COP 23 and the corresponding GEF responses. This publication provides full documentation of the evolution of GEF activities and policies as informed by guidance from the COP.
Small Island Developing States and the GEF: Building Lasting Partnerships
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has been a strong partner and supporter of sustainable development for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) since it was founded over 25 years ago. The GEF has supported the development of green and blue economy approaches in SIDS because nowhere is the inextricable connection between people’s wellbeing, prosperity, and the environment clearer than on small islands. In recent years, growing recognition of the vital importance of the oceans to economies and livelihoods in SIDS has increased calls for integrated blue economy approaches. At the same time, SIDS face fundamental challenges that must be tackled immediately - including high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, limited land and water resources, and often unsustainable natural resource use.
Combatting Illegal Wildlife Trade
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) takes a holistic approach to tackling the poaching crisis by seeking to reduce both supply and demand which is driving the illegal wildlife trade, as well as targeted efforts to curb the actual trafficking. We support stronger monitoring and enforcement efforts, strengthening of legal and regulatory frameworks, and awareness raising.