Global Environment Facility

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Thematic Focus
• Strategy
• Achievements

Overview

Based in Washington, D.C., the Global Environment Facility (GEF) grew from a pilot program of the World Bank to become the single largest source of funding for the global environment. Since 1994, its mandate has been to focus on achieving global environmental benefits. The GEF also helps to address the development goals of poor countries by responding to environmental priorities in six areas:

• Climate change
• Biodiversity
• Land degradation
• Chemicals management
• International waters
• Forestry

Canada, through CIDA, has been a strong supporter of the GEF since its creation and is the sixth largest donor. Canada's contribution to the GEF fulfills its obligations to help developing countries implement key global environmental agreements.

The GEF is an umbrella organization that builds on the comparative advantages of 10 existing agencies:

• United Nations Development Programme
• United Nations Environment Programme
• World Bank
• African Development Bank
• Asian Development Bank
• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• Inter-American Development Bank
• International Fund for Agricultural Development
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• United Nations Industrial Development Organization

One of the GEF's major strengths is its ability to support activities in recipient countries that, within the context of their sustainable development needs, can help meet their commitments to more than one global environment convention. These include:

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
• Convention on Biological Diversity
• Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Thematic Focus

Although the mandate of the GEF is to focus on global environmental benefits rather than directly on development results or poverty reduction, GEF-funded projects and programs align closely with CIDA's three priority themes: increasing food security, stimulating sustainable economic growth, and securing the future of children and youth.

Food security

The GEF's focus on water management, biodiversity conservation, land degradation, and deforestation prevention contribute to increasing food security.

Economic growth

The GEF's investments in developing energy-efficient technologies reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote green investments, and increase local economic development opportunities.

Children and youth

The GEF's focus on a healthy environment containing fewer persistent organic pollutants and ozone-depleting substances is critical for the well-being of citizen and especially in securing the future of children and youth.

CIDA's Strategy for Working with the GEF

CIDA's work with the GEF focuses on two strategic objectives:

1. Implementing key program and institutional reforms as outlined in the GEF replenishments.
2. Strengthening the development impacts of GEF initiatives. This includes addressing critical gender and social issues and increased support for the GEF Small Grants Programme, which responds to the needs of countries and civil society organizations, in particular projects that engage indigenous communities and women.

Achievements

As of 2012, with the support of CIDA and other donors, the GEF has:

• Supported more than 30 climate-friendly technologies leading to energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable urban transport, and methane reduction
• Conducted environmentally-sound disposal of at least 38,000 tonnes of waste related to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 20,000 tonnes of obsolete pesticides
• Phased out 296,000 tonnes of ozone-depleting substances
• Supported the creation or management of more than 2,302 protected areas covering 634 million hectares
• Provided biodiversity protection and planning for more than 265 million hectares of productive land
• Protected 30 river and lake basins, five ground water basins, and 20 of the planet's 64 large marine ecosystems