Donor countries have pledged an initial $3.9 billion to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for its ninth replenishment cycle, which will cover the period from July 2026 to June 2030.
The environment fund described the financing commitment as a ‘powerful demonstration of commitment to meeting international environmental goals through multilateral cooperation’, adding that it will enable the GEF to bolster investment in nature-positive development, assist developing countries with addressing urgent priorities, and foster global environmental benefits.
The GEF is expected to announce further pledges for its four-year financing round at its GEF Council meeting at the end of May.
‘A clear message’
“This replenishment sends a clear message: the world is not giving up on nature even in a time of competing priorities,” commented said Claude Gascon, interim CEO and chairperson of the GEF.
“Our donor countries have risen to the challenge and made bold commitments towards a more positive future for the planet. The coming four years of the GEF-9 cycle will reflect this high-ambition push to achieve the 2030 environmental goals.”
Key priorities
The GEF added that four key priorities will define its ‘ambition and approach’ over the next four years, including integrating environmental programs across sectors; increasing the use of blended finance; encouraging coordinated whole-of-government and whole-of-society actions; and providing robust funding for least developed countries and small island developing states.
“The environmental crises we face are accelerating. GEF-9 is a vote of confidence in an institution that has consistently delivered results at scale,” added Richard Bontjer, co-chair of the GEF Council. “This replenishment will sharpen the GEF’s focus on impact, drive greater efficiency, and mobilise private finance alongside public investment.
“It will also strengthen support to SIDS and LDCs and give recognition to the importance of supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities. In a world where every dollar must count, the GEF continues to demonstrate it is worth the investment.”
Over the past three decades, the GEF has provided more than $27 billion in direct financing and mobilised an additional $155 billion for related initiatives.
The GEF serves as a financial mechanism of six international environmental conventions: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Minamata Convention on Mercury, and the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
The 71st GEF Council meeting will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from 31 May to 6 June 2026. Read more here.
