The GEF is a partnership for international cooperation, bringing 184 countries, international institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector together to address global environmental issues. Since 1991, the GEF has provided $21.5 billion in grants and leveraged $117 billion in cofinancing for 5,000 projects in more than 170 developing countries. For 27 years, developed and developing countries alike have provided these funds to support activities related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, and chemicals and waste in the context of development projects and programs.

WWF and the GEF have a rich history of partnership and mutual support. At the first United Nations Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, WWF was an active participant in the international negotiations to establish the GEF. We have since been a ceaseless supporter of its policies and operations, participating in the design or execution of more than 100 GEF programs and projects.

GEF AGENCY ACCREDITATION:

A milestone in this partnership was reached in November 2013, when the GEF Council welcomed WWF as a GEF Project Agency. This status gives WWF the ability to work directly with the GEF’s member countries to design and implement GEF programs and projects on their behalf, with full accreditation regarding GEF policies, rules, and procedures. WWF-US serves as the GEF agency within the international WWF Network.

The GEF exerts significant influence for positive change by investing in new ideas, bringing together influential partners, and taking solutions to scale across the globe. As a GEF Project Agency, WWF can leverage this influence—in conjunction with our own global network of expertise and partnerships—to protect some of the most vulnerable species, places, and communities on Earth.