The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has greenlit USD 52.8 million (Sh6.81 billion) to fund four new projects led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), aimed at restoring vital ecosystems, promoting clean transport, and enhancing global climate transparency.
The announcement came during the GEF’s 70th Council meeting, just a week after UNEA-7, which gathered over 6,000 delegates from more than 180 countries to discuss sustainable solutions for the planet.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen described the funding as a clear sign of what coordinated international action can achieve.
“These new investments demonstrate what multilateral environmental cooperation can deliver when we combine ambition with action,” Andersen said. “Coming just one week after UNEA-7, where Member States rallied around advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet, this support from the GEF helps translate that global resolve into concrete results.”
She highlighted that the projects target a wide range of environmental priorities, including ecosystems, oceans, clean transport, and climate reporting.
“From wetlands and oceans to clean transport and climate transparency, these projects will support countries protect their natural capital, reduce emissions and pollution, and strengthen resilience for communities on the frontlines of environmental change,” Andersen added.
GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez underscored the need for ambitious and integrated initiatives. “The GEF and UNEP have a long track record of helping countries reverse environmental decline and build resilience,” Rodríguez said.
“These new projects are exactly the kind of integrated, high-impact initiatives we need—linking climate, nature and pollution and ensuring benefits for people and ecosystems alike.”
Among the funded projects, Madagascar will receive USD 7.2 million (Sh928.8 million) to support sustainable wetland management, protecting over 655,000 hectares of wetlands and marine ecosystems, restoring 24,000 hectares of mangroves, and benefiting about 60,000 people.
The initiative is also projected to prevent more than 41 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
Another USD 2 million (Sh258 million) will help Madagascar scale up integrated electric mobility systems, boosting its shift toward zero-emission transport through stronger policies and technical capacity.
Indonesia will benefit from a USD 9 million (Sh1.161 billion) project designed to strengthen policy coherence for a sustainable blue economy. The initiative will cover 1.42 million hectares of marine habitat and restore 50,000 hectares of mangroves and seagrass.
The largest allocation, USD 34.6 million (Sh4.46 billion), will support 25 countries in preparing and submitting 50 climate reports under the Paris Agreement, reinforcing climate governance and transparency over the long term.
These investments build on more than 30 years of UNEP–GEF collaboration, which has supported over 1,000 projects in 160 countries and improved the lives of nearly 33 million people. UNEP noted that the upcoming GEF-9 replenishment in 2026 will offer an important chance to expand proven solutions for a healthier and more resilient planet.
