Representatives from 186 nations agreed the Global Environment Facility fund, which will support projects in 144 countries.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF), a multilateral fund that finances environmental projects around the world, has approved an initial $3.9bn (€3.4bn) package to support climate adaptation, biodiversity protection and water security over the next four years.
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The decision was taken at the GEF Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where representatives from 186 countries met to agree the priorities of the fund's ninth replenishment cycle, covering the period from 2026 to 2030.
The funding comes at a time when governments across the world are facing growing pressure to address droughts, floods, biodiversity loss and other environmental challenges linked to climate change.
The fund behind global environmental agreements
Established in 1991, the Global Environment Facility channels funding from donor governments into environmental projects around the world and serves as a financial mechanism for several international agreements, including the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The GEF currently supports more than 2,300 active projects and programmes. It has $12.6bn (€11bn) in financing under implementation and is expected to mobilise a further $80.5bn (€70bn) through co-financing arrangements. Since its creation, the organisation says it has provided more than $27bn (€23.5bn) in grants and helped mobilise approximately $155bn (€135bn) in additional investment worldwide.
One example of how those resources are being deployed is the GEF's Sustainable Cities programme. According to the World Bank, the initiative has already worked with more than 100 cities across 40 countries, using GEF funding to help improve urban planning, resilience and environmental management.
Ming Zhang, the World Bank's Global Director for Urban, Subnational Finance, Tourism and Disaster Management, said grant funding can help attract larger investments from development banks and the private sector.
"The performance approach could be useful, providing the right incentive to achieve the results you want," he said.
Funding priorities for the next four years
The package will support projects across 144 recipient countries and sets the direction of GEF financing through 2030.
"This is $3.9bn that European donors and other donors globally have committed to supporting GEF's 144 recipient countries to pursue environmental goals of global significance – conserving biodiversity, managing the climate, restoring degraded areas, and managing shared freshwater and ocean systems," said Fred Boltz, Head of Programming at the GEF Secretariat.
At least 35 per cent of the GEF Trust Fund will be directed towards least developed countries and small island developing states, which are often among the most exposed to environmental risks. A further 20 per cent will support initiatives led by Indigenous peoples and local communities.
Faster access to environmental financing
Alongside the new financial commitments, the latest funding cycle introduces reforms aimed at reducing bureaucracy and accelerating access to financing.
"GEF-9 focuses on streamlining, enabling agencies and countries to hit the ground with resources more quickly, massively decreasing the bureaucratic complexity of receiving GEF funding," Boltz said.
The changes are intended to shorten approval timelines and allow projects to move more quickly from planning to implementation.
The new cycle also places greater emphasis on integrated programmes linking climate change, biodiversity, land degradation, food systems and water management, reflecting growing recognition that environmental challenges cannot be addressed in isolation.
The GEF-9 funding cycle begins in July 2026 and will run until 2030, a key deadline year for global climate, biodiversity and land restoration commitments.
The first projects are expected to begin receiving support in the coming months.
Shared environmental challenges
European governments remain among the largest contributors to the fund, while many of the issues targeted by GEF financing are becoming increasingly relevant across Europe.
More frequent droughts, floods, biodiversity loss and rising adaptation costs are placing growing pressure on public finances and infrastructure across the continent.
Rachel Kyte, the UK's Special Representative for Climate, said regions already experiencing severe environmental stress could offer lessons for policymakers elsewhere.
"Central Asia is ground zero for the impacts that we see from climate change," she said. "What we can do here then becomes lessons for other parts of the world."
Many of those pressures are already visible across the region.
According to World Bank data presented during the gathering, around 37 million people in the region currently live in areas experiencing severe water scarcity. That figure could rise to 75 million by 2050 as glaciers retreat and river flows decline.
From recipient to contributor
The Assembly was held in Central Asia for the first time.
In a message to delegates, Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said the country views ecological transformation as "a new model of development".
Uzbekistan joined the GEF in 1995 as a recipient country. During the Assembly, it announced plans to become a contributor to future funding cycles.
"What you see in this assembly is Uzbekistan taking a leadership role, becoming a donor to the GEF, as well as taking leadership at the Central Asian regional level," said Marcos Athias Neto, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Assistant Administrator.
Eco Expo showcases environmental solutions
Running alongside the Assembly, Eco Expo Central Asia brought together around 10,000 participants from more than 100 countries and featured 68 pavilions showcasing environmental technologies, green economy initiatives and start-up projects.
The exhibition offered a practical illustration of how international environmental finance can translate into projects on the ground, from water management and urban resilience to renewable energy and environmental monitoring.
