The Global Environment Facility (GEF) (https://www.thegef.org/) is a multilateral financing mechanism established in 1991 to help developing countries address global environmental challenges. It provides grants and blended finance to support projects in biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, land degradation, persistent organic pollutants, sustainable forest management, and international waters.  

It operates in partnership with major international institutions (e.g. United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme, World Bank) and serves as the financial mechanism for key environmental conventions, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) https://unfccc.int, United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) https://www.cbd.int, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) https://www.unccd.int, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) https://pops.int, the Minamata Convention on Mercury https://minamataconvention.org and Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ.). Through its grants, innovative financing tools, and the Small Grants Programme (SGP), GEF mobilizes co-financing and fosters community-led environmental action.