Countries pledge $3.9 billion to Global Environment Facility towards ambitious ninth replenishment

Donor countries pledged an initial $3.9 billion to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) on April 9, 2026, for its ninth replenishment cycle, supporting accelerated environmental action by developing countries through multilateral cooperation, according to a press release by the GEF. The four-year financing commitment will cover the period from July 2026 to June 2030. Additional pledges are expected by the GEF Council meeting at the end of May, when the final replenishment package will be approved.

The GEF serves as a financial mechanism for six international environmental conventions, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Minamata Convention on Mercury, and the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). Over the past three decades, the GEF has provided more than $27 billion in financing, primarily as grants, and mobilized another $155 billion for country-driven priority projects. The new funds will help developing countries integrate the value of nature into their national development plans, budgets, and economies, while catalyzing private finance to close the persistent environmental financing gap.

Four overarching priorities will define GEF-9’s approach over the next four years.

These include integrated programs targeting five key systems — nature, food, urban, energy, and health — alongside an expanded blended finance program with an aspirational target of programming 25 percent of resources to mobilize private capital. GEF-9 also sets a goal of allocating 35 percent of resources for Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, and 20 percent to support Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches will promote nature-positive governance while engaging civil society organizations, the private sector, youth, and women as partners.

Claude Gascon, Interim CEO and Chairperson of the GEF, stated:

“This replenishment sends a clear message: the world is not giving up on nature even in a time of competing priorities. 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.”

Niels Annen, State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, added that Germany sees its priorities well reflected in GEF-9, including innovative finance for nature and people, better cooperation with the private sector, and stable resources for the most vulnerable countries. Representatives from Spain, Mexico, and the GEF CSO Network also voiced support for the replenishment outcome.

The 71st GEF Council meeting will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from May 31 to June 3, 2026, ahead of the Eighth GEF Assembly, when individual country pledges will be publicly announced. The replenishment comes as global assessments show rapid and alarming declines in biodiversity and ecosystems, with the planet approaching critical tipping points.

Richard Bontjer, Co-Chair of the GEF Council, described GEF-9 as “a vote of confidence in an institution that has consistently delivered results at scale.” The cycle will sharpen the GEF’s focus on impact, drive greater efficiency, and mobilize private finance alongside public investment.