By Mia Hunt on 17/06/2026 | Updated on 17/06/2026
Photo by Joan Costa via Pexels
More than 180 countries have agreed the priorities for a US$3.9bn funding package that will be spent on conserving biodiversity and other climate projects around the world.
The package was approved by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) at its latest assembly in Uzbekistan earlier this month.
GEF is a multilateral fund that channels funding from donor governments into environmental projects and serves as a financial mechanism for several international agreements, including the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
At the assembly, the representatives of 186 countries endorsed the directions and policy recommendations for the GEF’s ninth ‘replenishment cycle’, which will be spent on “pursuing environmental goals of global significance” and covers the period between July 2026 and 2030.
The funding cycle will focus on integrated programmes that target transformations across nature, food, urban, energy and health systems, and projects include climate management, biodiversity protection, restoring degraded areas of the planet, and managing freshwater and ocean systems.
The GEF said that 35% of resources would support least developed countries and small island developing states, while 20% will be spent on supporting indigenous peoples and local communities.
“This is a powerful demonstration of commitment to meeting international environmental goals through multilateral cooperation,” said Claude Gascon, interim CEO and chairperson of the GEF. “The replenishment process has shown what becomes possible when we choose cooperation and collaboration – when we come together to act not just for our own countries, but for our shared planet.”
The package also introduces structural reforms that intend to shorten approval timelines and allow projects to move more quickly from planning to implementation, “making the GEF faster, simpler, and more accountable” and “ensuring resources reach countries more efficiently”, the GEF said.
It added that throughout the cycle, it would work on mobilising whole-of-government and whole-of-society engagement efforts and the “deepening of participation of civil society, youth, women, and the private sector”.
Read more: ‘Much‑needed fresh air’: five outcomes from the world’s first summit on ending fossil fuels
Additional GEF funding for nature, water, renewable power, and resilience
At the assembly in Uzbekistan, a separate US$232.5m in new environmental financing was also approved, covering 24 projects and programmes in 22 countries.
This includes US$144.3m for 16 projects that aim to safeguard flyways for migratory birds from East Asia to Australia; improve water management across Central Asia; reduce human-wildlife conflict in Botswana; bolster ecosystems’ resilience to fire in India; and support renewable power generation and storage in Uzbekistan, among other goals.
The financing also includes US$67m for eight projects that will help countries reduce flood and coastal risks, strengthen food and water security, protect ecosystems, improve disaster preparedness, and expand resilient economic opportunities for vulnerable communities.
The recipient countries of this package are Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Niue, Senegal, the Solomon Islands, Sudan, and Togo.
A further US$20.5m will be spent on two projects that will advance biodiversity conservation, with 39% directed to indigenous peoples and local communities.
