A new package of US$67 million has been approved by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to help nations take frontline action on biodiversity loss, pollution and a rapidly warming planet. With UNDP's support, the funding will be channeled to nine projects targeting some of the world's most fragile ecosystems and climate-vulnerable communities in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East and North Africa.
The projects aim to reverse biodiversity loss while also tapping income opportunities. They protect communities and rich biodiversity surrounding lakes and forests as well as permafrost peatland landscapes. They aim to build resilience in conflict-affected areas; restore critical coastal and marine habitats; empower local communities to manage wildlife and conserve medicinal plant species; tackle chronic water insecurity and land degradation and finance biodiversity conservation.
"From protecting the coasts of small islands to degraded rangelands, investing in action is not optional," said Marcos Neto UN Assistant Secretary- General and Director of UNDP's Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. "This is an exciting portfolio that highlights the importance of investments in nature and the protection of biodiversity as critical for the development agenda. This financing through GEF's forward-looking investment will deploy funds to partners, governments and communities to finance a resilient, better prepared and more sustainable future for all."
Working with a broad range of partners, from private sector companies to indigenous communities and marginalized groups, these projects will further mobilize investment to protect people and planet. The funds will reduce investment risks and boost innovation, while responding to critical needs. UNDP expects the portfolio to catalyze over five times the approved funding in co-financing from partners, including the private sector, while averting millions potentially spent on future crises.
This critical funding comes at a time when natural resources, and the communities that depend on them, are increasingly at risk. These funds aim to support a shift towards nature-positive development that will go beyond subsistence and dependency. UNDP will leverage its convening power to deploy these investments and support solutions that increase the resilience of societies and economies, generate positive economic returns, and protect a thriving future.
The funds approved by the GEF-which to date has supported protected areas larger than the size of Australia-are part of a bigger push to take concrete action and address urgent environmental challenges. Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, GEF CEO and Chairperson, said: "As we approach the make-or-break 2030 global environmental targets, this latest funding supports nature's invaluable role in our wellbeing, while generating global returns. These investments are essential for stronger economies, climate-resilient communities and a livable future."
The new set of investments reinforces UNDP's broader global commitments, including the Climate Promise and Nature Pledge, to help countries accelerate climate action, reverse nature loss, and expand access to affordable, clean energy.
The work program was approved during the GEF's 70th Council meeting, 15-19 December 2025, and penultimate Council meeting of its eighth funding cycle. Representatives of 186-member governments took stock of major progress towards current targets and endorsed more than US$350 million in funding for high-impact initiatives through the GEF Trust Fund, Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), and Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF).
