The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral family of funds dedicated to confronting biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution, and supporting land and ocean health. Its financing enables developing countries to address complex challenges and work toward international environmental goals. The partnership includes 186 member governments as well as civil society, Indigenous Peoples, women, and youth with a focus on integration and inclusivity.
GEF organizes their work around five focal areas—biodiversity loss, chemicals and waste, climate change, international waters, and land degradation—and takes an integrated approach to support more sustainable food systems, forest management, and cities.
The family of funds includes the GEF Trust Fund, Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, Least Developed Countries Fund, Special Climate Change Fund, Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund, and Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency Trust Fund.
11 December 2024
ADB approved a $25.45 million grant to help Solomon Islands develop sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient water supply and sanitation services.
19 November 2024
ADB and the Government of Tuvalu signed a grant agreement amounting to $16.53 million to support the improvement of water supply and sanitation management in Funafuti.
13 December 2024
ADB approved a $6 million grant, as part of a total project cost of $16.6 million, to help improve climate resilience, water and food security, and livelihood opportunities for rural communities in Timor-Leste.
ADB–GEF projects in oceans, nature-based solutions, electric mobility, and climate resilience have contributed to ADB’s expanding ambition on climate change and nature-positive investments.
The article highlights the joint efforts of ADB, the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Global Environment Facility in addressing illegal wildlife trade in the Philippines.
With financing support from the Clean Technology Fund and Global Environment Facility, ADB approved a project with Energy Efficiency Services Limited, a public sector energy service company in India, to expand energy efficiency investments in the country.
With financing support from the Clean Technology Fund and Global Environment Facility, ADB approved a project with Energy Efficiency Services Limited, a public sector energy service company in India, to expand energy efficiency investments in the country.
ADB and the Global Environment Facility collaborated on several knowledge products and/or events, including the following:
On Finance Day at the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (Convention on Biological Diversity [CBD] Conference of the Parties 16), ADB launched its inaugural Biodiversity and Nature Bond, focusing on nature-based solutions. Messages of support were provided by the Global Environment Facility and CBD secretariat.
The Global Environment Facility contributes to ADB’s development initiatives through cofinancing.
Sovereign Cofinancing. In 2024, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) committed $34 million in grants and technical assistance cofinancing. This includes $7.5 million to support Viet Nam in green financing for agrochemical reduction in agri-food value chains across five provinces. In addition, GEF committed $4.6 million to improve climate resilience, water and food security, and livelihoods in rural communities in Timor-Leste, and another $4.6 million to Tuvalu for constructing a reticulated water supply network. This network will benefit over half of Tuvalu’s population by improving access to desalinated water, building drought resilience, and easing the burden of meeting basic water needs.
