The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council has approved US$372 million for 36 environmental projects and programmes across developing countries, reinforcing a growing emphasis on translating global biodiversity commitments into action on the ground. The decisions were taken at the Council’s meeting held in December 2025, according to an official GEF statement.

Established in 1992, the GEF is the world’s principal multilateral fund supporting developing countries in meeting obligations under international environmental agreements, including the Convention on Biological Diversity. Its portfolio spans biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, land restoration and sustainable ecosystem management. For many countries with limited domestic resources, the GEF remains one of the most dependable sources of public finance for environmental action.

The latest approvals come as governments work to meet the 2030 targets set under the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022. While global ambition has increased, funding gaps persist, making multilateral finance crucial for implementation. The December decisions reflect this urgency, with biodiversity featuring prominently across the approved projects.

Of the total funding cleared, about US$291 million will be channelled through the GEF Trust Fund, making it the largest contributor in this round. An additional US$49 million was approved through the Least Developed Countries Fund to support climate adaptation in particularly vulnerable nations. The Special Climate Change Fund contributed US$3 million, while US$29 million was approved through the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF).

Biodiversity-focused initiatives form a significant share of the approved portfolio. Many projects aim to restore degraded ecosystems, protect critical habitats, and promote more sustainable management of land and marine areas. These investments are seen as essential, given that global biodiversity financing remains far below what is needed to halt and reverse nature loss.

The GBFF, created to help countries convert global biodiversity goals into national and local action, featured prominently at the meeting. The GBFF Council approved a work programme worth approximately US$28 million, supporting projects in Colombia, Indonesia and Madagascar. Including this latest work programme, the GBFF has invested more than US$288.7 million over the past two years, supporting 62 projects across 71 countries.

In Colombia, funding was approved for the Biomanglar project, which focuses on protecting and restoring mangrove ecosystems along the Pacific coast in the departments of Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Cauca and Nariño. The project emphasises collaboration with Afro-Colombian communities that have long played a role in safeguarding mangroves. It aims to restore damaged areas, improve ecological connectivity and strengthen the management of nearly 620,000 hectares of terrestrial and marine protected areas. Alongside conservation outcomes, the project supports sustainable livelihoods such as artisanal fishing, piangua harvesting and nature-based tourism, benefiting around 3,860 people, particularly women and young people.

In Madagascar, a newly approved project builds on earlier GEF-supported efforts to strengthen locally managed marine areas. The initiative supports community-led marine conservation while reinforcing two national conservation trust funds to help secure long-term financing. It is expected to benefit at least 5,450 people, mainly from Indigenous and local communities, through capacity building, inclusive governance, shared learning and support for sustainable livelihoods.

In Indonesia, funding was approved for a project centred on wild ecotourism as a tool for conservation and community benefit. The initiative seeks to integrate biodiversity conservation into land and sea-use planning across five national parks, strengthen Indigenous conservation efforts and ensure more equitable sharing of tourism benefits. More than half of the additional tourism revenue generated is expected to be reinvested in park management, with approximately 6,000 people projected to benefit.

Together, these projects illustrate a growing focus on community-led conservation approaches that link ecosystem protection with livelihoods. Alongside biodiversity financing, the Council also approved new climate adaptation projects that emphasise the close connection between climate resilience and biodiversity restoration.

As the 2030 deadline for global biodiversity targets approaches, attention is likely to shift increasingly towards whether these projects deliver durable environmental and social outcomes. The December meeting also marked a leadership transition at the GEF, with its long-serving Chief Executive Officer and Chair stepping down. An interim head has been appointed ahead of the next funding cycle beginning in 2026, a period expected to play a decisive role in shaping the future direction of global environmental finance.