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The initiative will strengthen global monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury to support multilateral environmental agreements

Samarkand, 4 June 2026 – The Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Inger Andersen, has named Edward R. Carr, Director of the Stockholm Environment Institute’s US Centre, as interim Chair of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) to the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Surat, a bustling Indian city of 7 million people, sits at the meeting point of the Tapti River and the Arabian Sea, and its identity has been shaped by water. But the same geography that for centuries has driven Surat's growth is now threatening its future.

The state of Andhra Pradesh in India may be famous for its stunning emerald-green slopes covered in lush vegetation.  Over the past few decades, however, the region has lost 30 to 40 per cent of its original forest cover, according to Dinesh Kumar, a local government official.  

The Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management (FARM) Programme has launched its new website, providing a central platform to support the transition towards more sustainable agrifood systems. 

Georgia’s Samtskhe-Javakheti region lies along the country’s southern edge, its hills rolling into the Turkish border. Centuries-old fortresses and monasteries, now tourist attractions and heritage sites, sit atop high plateaus overlooking villages shaped for generations by small-scale farming.  

Washington D.C., 17 December, 2025 - The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has announced USD 52.8 million for four new UN Environment Programme (UNEP)–led projects during its 70th Council meeting.

The health of our oceans depends on strong institutions, informed decision-making and political will. In Mexico, these elements have come together through a UNEP-implemented, ICCF-executed, Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded initiative that is strengthening ocean governance from the legislative level outward.

Food Waste Breakthrough targets halving global food waste by 2030 Up to 7% reduction in methane emissions also targeted Global Environment Facility commits US$3 million towards effort

Belém, 13 November 2025 – The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners today launched a new initiative to halve food waste by 2030 and cut up to seven per cent from methane emissions as part of

The GEF-funded planetGOLD programme works in partnership with governments, the private sector, and artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities with the objective of eliminating mercury from the supply chain of gold produced by ASGM.

The programme recently completed a cross-programmatic assessment of its first phase (2018-2025), which comprised nine country-level projects. Get a glimpse of what was achieved in these countries and what lessons were learned that other initiatives aimed at advancing mercury-free, responsible ASGM can learn from.

The first Annual Plastic Reboot Conference kicks off in Salvador, Brazil from 22-24 October 2025, bringing together 15 countries and global partners tackling plastic pollution through the Plastic Reboot programme. The event marks a milestone for the USD 108 million GEF-funded global programme, advancing multilateral action and collaboration across governments, the private sector, and civil society.

Washington D.C., 16 October 2025 - The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), together with the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), have officially launched the

The ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) by Sri Lanka, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Morocco and Sierra Leone has pushed the total number of supporting countries past the critical threshold of 60, setting in motion the treaty’s entry into force for 17 January 2026. 

The GEF is part of the financial mechanism to the BBNJ Agreement, supporting the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.   Ratification of the 60th and 61st countries to the BBNJ Agreement sets into motion its entry to force in 120 days.   The GEF has allocated $34 million for ratification support and implementation activities and is the largest multilateral public funder for oceans, having invested over $2.5 billion since 1992.

When Iya Kande’s youngest son turned two months old, she began using a skin-lightening soap on his face and body. 

Kande, whose last name has been changed to protect her identity, lives in northern Nigeria. She was hoping a fairer complexion would ingratiate the boy with his grandmother, who like many in the region had come to equate light skin with beauty.  

Washington D.C., 2 June 2025 – The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has announced USD27.2m for three new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) led projects during its 69th Council meeting. The projects aim to deliver practical solutions to pressing environmental challenges, including tackling pollution and enhancing climate transparency.  

Geneva, 12 May 2025 – Over 50 representatives from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are gathering at the Palais des Nations in Geneva for the first in-person ISLANDS Forum to strengthen sound management of chemicals and waste in these uniquely vulnerable nations.

Vienna, 7 May 2025 – Hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in its Austrian premises, the Global Environment Facility (GEF)’s third Agencies Communications Retreat brought together over 30 participants representing UN agencies, multilateral development banks and non-governmental organizations in Vienna from 5 to 6 May 2025.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are our "Worst Friends Forever" (WFF). These organic chemicals persist in the environment for extended periods, spreading through air, water, and soil. They accumulate in living organisms and pose significant toxic risks to both humans and the environment.

To combat these dangers, scientists and governments have united under the Stockholm Convention. This collaboration aims to monitor these pollutants and safeguard human health and the environment from their harmful impact.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

The GEF funded Mediterranean Sea Programme (MedProgramme) is more than a collection of projects; it’s a powerful force for change, bringing together countries, partners, and sectors to drive environmental progress.

At the Third Annual Stocktaking Meeting (ASM) in Istanbul, Türkiye, participants gathered to reflect on achievements, share knowledge, and explore new ways to amplify impact under the theme “The MedProgramme: Greater than the Sum of its Parts”.

This week, delegates from around the world will gather in New York City to discuss what has been called one of the most important environmental accords in recent history: the Agreement on Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (

Women make up 30% of the global artisanal and small-scale gold mining workforce, and they have critical roles to play in the movement to #MakeMercuryHistory & to safeguard communities from unsafe mining practices. Projects in the planetGOLD programme promote the participation and advancement of women who choose to work in this mining sector in order to provide for themselves and their families.

As the planet warms, the fallout from climate change – from droughts, to floods, to superstorms – is getting worse. But not everyone has felt the pain equally. This imbalance is tied to longstanding inequalities: women often shoulder more domestic care responsibilities, have less access to resources, such as land or credit, and are underrepresented in decision-making spaces. 

Cambodia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Mongolia, Pakistan, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago have united to drive the transformation and eliminate the environmental impact of fashion and construction. Fashion and construction are among the top three sectors contributing to pollution, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, land degradation, water pollution and biodiversity loss.  $340 million initiative will transfor

In a Nairobi hotel last week, models strode down a runway to promote the idea of reuse in fashion. Clad in upcycled looks created by emerging designers, the show focused on avoiding new production and repurposing items already in circulation.