8 June 2015
GEF Council Approves Largest Proposed Work Program in History of GEF Financing
story highlights

The 48th meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council considered and adopted the largest proposed Work Program in the history of the GEF financing.

The Work Program encompasses Integrated Approach Pilots (IAPs) on sustainable cities, food security in sub-Saharan Africa, and taking deforestation out of commodity supply chains; two global programs, one on illegal wildlife trade and poaching and the other on biodiversity; three projects in the Non-Grant Instrument Pilot (NGI) that expand the opportunities for strategic engagement by the GEF with private sector initiatives seeking to deliver global environmental benefits, namely the Equity Fund for Independent Power Producers in Southern Africa, the Moringa Agro-Forestry Fund for Africa, and Impact Investment in Support of the Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing; and 32 other project concepts.

Participants at the 48th meeting of the GEF Council 4 June 2015: The 48th meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council adopted the largest proposed Work Program in the history of GEF financing, involving a total of US$709 million of GEF Trust Fund resources, plus an indicative amount of US$4.81 billion in co-financing. The Work Program encompasses Integrated Approach Pilots (IAPs) on sustainable cities, food security in sub-Saharan Africa, and taking deforestation out of commodity supply chains, as well as other projects and programs.

The Work Program also includes: two global programs, one on illegal wildlife trade and poaching and the other on biodiversity; three projects in the Non-Grant Instrument Pilot (NGI) that expand the opportunities for strategic engagement by the GEF with private sector initiatives seeking to deliver global environmental benefits, namely the Equity Fund for Independent Power Producers in Southern Africa, the Moringa Agro-Forestry Fund for Africa, and Impact Investment in Support of the Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing; and 32 other project concepts.

The project concepts include: Integrated Natural Resources Management in Drought-prone and Salt-affected Agricultural Production Systems in Central Asia and Turkey (CACILM2); Small Grants Programme projects in Costa Rica, Egypt, Indonesia, Peru and Sri Lanka; Zambia Lake Tanganyika Basin Sustainable Development Project; Environmentally Sound Management of Products and Wastes Containing Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Risks Associated with their Final Disposal in Honduras; and Renewable Energy Sector Project in the Cook Islands.

The Council meeting convened in Washington, DC, US, from 2-4 June 2015, at World Bank headquarters. Representatives of governments, international organizations and civil society organizations (CSOs) attended the three-day meeting, which also included the 18th meeting of the Council for the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF). The meetings were preceded by a consultation with CSOs on 1 June, as well as a meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP). In addition, Jeff Seabright, Chief Sustainability Officer, Unilever, addressed the Council on the private sector’s role in reversing environmental degradation, and Gabriel Quijandría Acosta, Peru’s Deputy Minister of Environment and Co-Chair of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board, discussed the evolving climate finance architecture during a lunchtime meeting with GEF Council members.

The Council engaged in a dialogue with the STAP Chair and considered agenda items on, inter alia: GEF 2020 Implementation; Annual Monitoring Review (AMR) FY14: Part II; Expediting the Preparation of the Stock of Delayed Projects; the Four-Year Work Program and Budget of the GEF Independent Evaluation Office – GEF-6; GEF Agency Compliance with Policies on Environmental and Social Safeguards, Gender, and Fiduciary Standards; a Knowledge Management Approach Paper; the Semi-Annual Evaluation Report June 2015 and Management Responses; Relations with the Conventions and Other International Institutions; and Progress Report on the Pilot Accreditation of GEF Project Agencies.

The LDCF/SCCF Council convened for its 18th meeting on 4 June, and adopted a Work Program for the SCCF that comprises three project concepts with total resources requested in this Work Program amounting to over US$15 million. At the close of the meeting, the Council announced the dates for the next three Council meetings: 20-22 October 2015; 7-9 June 2016; and 25-27 October 2016. [IISD RS Coverage of GEF Council Meeting] [GEF Press Release] [CITES Press Release]

 


related events


related posts