Overview of the GEF

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Overview of the GEF
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Origin of the GEF

• Mechanism for financing incremental costs of
  new global environment actions by developing
  countries
• Linked to negotiation and based on philosophy of
  Convention on Biological Diversity and U.N.
  Framework Convention on Climate Change
• Initially focused on biodiversity, climate change
  and shared (international) water bodies
• Recently extended to land degradation and POPs

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Financial History of the GEF

• GEF Pilot Phase
• 1991-1994 -- 1 Billion US Dollars
• Replenishments
• 1995-1998 -- 2.2 Billion US Dollars
• 1999-2001 -- 2.8 Billion US Dollars
• 2002-2005 -- 2.9 Billion US Dollars
• 2006-2009 currently under negotiation
• World Bank is the Trustee of the GEF Trust Fund

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GEF Institutional Framework

GEF Assembly GEF Council
STAP
GEF Secretariat
Office of ME
Implementing Agencies1. UNDP2. UNEP3. World
Bank
Executing Agencies1. ADF2.AFDB3. EBRD4.
FAO5. IADB6. IFAD7.UNIDO
Projects
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GEF Implementing Agencies

World Bank
UNEP
UNDP
Investment projects
Global regional/ and trans-boundary projects
Technical assistance/capacity building projects
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GEF Executing Agencies

• FAO
• UNIDO
• IFAD
• African Development Bank
• Asian Development Bank
• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• Inter-American Development Bank

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• GEF FOCAL AREAS
• and STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

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Focal Areas of the GEF

• Biodiversity
• Climate Change
• International Waters
• Ozone Depletion (only countries in transition)
• Land Degradation
• Persistent Organic Pollutants POPs

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GEF links to the Global Environmental Conventions

• GEF is the designated financial mechanism for
  the
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• POPs Convention
• The GEF is a designated mechanism for the
• Convention on Combating Desertification (UNCCD)
• The GEF collaborates closely with other treaties
  and agreements to reach common goals
  (International Waters, Montreal Protocol)

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Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

• Objectives of the Convention
• Conservation
• Sustainable use
• Fair and equitable sharing of benefits
• In relation to genetic resources
• Financial Mechanism
• GEF is the financial mechanism of the Convention

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GEF Strategic Priorities BIODIVERSITY

• Catalyze sustainability of protected area systems
• innovative financing
• capacity building for sustainability
• catalysing community / private sector linkages
• Mainstream biodiversity in production landscapes
  and sectors
• facilitate mainstreaming - policy/remove barrier
• develop market incentive - measure/demonstrate
• Build capacity for the Implementation of the
  Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

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UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC)

• Requires developing countries (non-Annex I) to
  prepare National Reports on their
• greenhouse gas emissions
• climate change mitigation plans
• vulnerability to climate change
• GEF is its financial mechanism - finances
  convention reports and voluntary national
  projects
• Provides strategic guidance for GEF funding of
  climate change projects.

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GEF Strategic PrioritiesCLIMATE CHANGE

• Promotion of energy-efficient products/ processes
• Financing for renewable energy/energy efficiency
• Power sector policy frameworks supportive of
  renewable energy and energy efficiency
• Productive uses of renewable energy
• Promotion of low GHG urban transport modes and
  clean vehicle/fuel technologies

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International Waters

• Defined as oceans and fresh water basins whose
  boundaries are shared by more than one country
• GEF is not a financial mechanism for any
  international waters conventions. However it
  helps implement Regional Seas Conventions,
  UNCLOS, and other maritime conventions

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GEF Strategic PrioritiesINTERNATIONAL WATERS

• Develop multi-country water-body Strategic Action
  Programs and management capacities
• Catalyze stress-reduction reforms/investments
• Undertake innovative demonstrations to
• Reduce contaminants
• Control invasive species
• Address water scarcity

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Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

• Characteristics and Effects of POPs
• Persistent ability to resist degradation
• Bio-accumulate
• Potential for long range transport (air, water,
  migratory species)
• Health damage, e.g. disrupt endocrine systems,
  suppresses immune systems, induce reproductive
  and developmental changes

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POPs Convention

• Objectives
• Stop production and use of 3 pesticides Aldrin,
  Endrin Toxaphene
• Phase-out production and use of 5 others, e.g.,
  DDT, dieldrin
• Stop production and use of PCBs
• Minimize by-products of chemical processes and
  incineration e.g., dioxins, furans
• GEF is interim financial mechanism

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GEF Strategic Priorities POPS

• Capacity building
• Policy/regulatory reforms and investments
• Demonstration of innovative and cost-effective
  technologies and practices

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Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

• Promote sustainable land management (SLM) and
  ecosystem stability, functions, services
• Development capacity for SLM and mainstream into
  national development
• Innovative, indigenous, investments to improve
  ecosystem integrity
• GEF is a (not the) financial mechanism

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GEF Strategic PrioritiesLAND DEGRADATION

• Strengthen institutional capacities to
• Integrate sustainable land management in national
  development and policy frameworks, programs and
  plans
• Implement policy and regulatory reforms
• Implement innovative and/or indigenous
  sustainable land management practices through
  projects

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Current GEF Portfolio (in millions of US
dollars, January 2006)
Total GEF 6,126.72 Total Co-Financing 20,225.00
TOTAL 26,351.72
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• GEF SUPPORT
• FOR CAPACITY BUILDING

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Capacity Development

• Capacity Development Initiative (CDI)
• Strategic GEF/UNDP partnership
• Responds to developing country priorities and
  convention requests for support
• Achievements of CDI
• Mobilized national capacity assessments
• Raised awareness of global environment issues
• Developed a framework for GEF action

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GEF Strategic Approach to Capacity Building

• Self assessment of capacity building needs
  (NCSAs)
• Do more capacity building in GEF projects
• Support targeted capacity building projects
• Country specific programs for addressing capacity
  building needs in LDCs and SIDS.

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National Capacity Self-Assessments (NCSAs)

• 200k available through expedited procedures
• Complementary to recent or ongoing capacity
  assessment exercises
• Country-driven, multistakeholder, and iterative
• UNDP, UNEP and World Bank can deliver
• Global Technical Support program for
  Implementation of NCSAs

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GEF and Adaptation

• Operationalization of the new funds (LDCF, SCCF,
  AF)

GEF Assistance to Address Adaptation
GEF Trust Fund Strategic Priority Piloting an
Operational Approach to Adaptation (SPA)
Least Developed Country Fund (LDCF) (implementatio
n of NAPAs) NO GLOBAL BENEFITS
Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) Top priority
to Adaptation NO GLOBAL BENEFITS
Adaptation Fund (AF) (2 of the share of the
proceeds of the CDM) NO GLOBAL BENEFITS
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• GENERAL ELIGBILITY CRITERIA
• GEF FUNDING CATEGORIES
• GEF PROJECT CYCLE

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Other Project Eligibility Requirements

• Country-driven and endorsed by host Government
• Produce identifiable global benefits
• Participation of all affected groups and
  transparency
• Consistency with the Conventions
• Possess strong scientific and technical merit
• Financially sustainable and cost-effective
• Include processes for monitoring, evaluation, and
  incorporation of lessons learned
• Play catalytic role that leverages other financing

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GEF Funding Categories

• Full-size projects (over 1 million)
• Medium-sized projects (up to 1 million)
• Project Development (preparation) Funds (PDF)
• PDF-A up to 25,000 (up to 50,000 for MSPs)
• PDF-B up to 350,000
• PDF-C up to 1 million
• Enabling activities (various sizes)
• Small Grants Programme (up to 50,000/project)

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Basic Project Cycle
Develop project concept
GEF review for eligibility and pipeline entry
OFP endorsement
Final evaluation
Project impacts continue after completion of GEF
funding
Implement, monitor and evaluate project
Secure project development funding option
GEF Council review and approval for CEO
endorsement for OFP
Prepare project proposal
GEF review for Work Program inclusion
CEO clearance
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• RESOURCE ALLOCATION FRAMEWORK (RAF)

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Resource Allocation Framework

• What is RAF?
• Framework for allocation of resources to global
  environmental priorities and to countries based
  on performance

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Resource Allocation Framework

• Objective
• To maximize the impact of these resources on
  global environmental improvements
• To promote sound environmental policies and
  practices worldwide.

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Resource Allocation Framework

• What will it provide?
• Varied levels and types of support to countries
  based on assessments of country capacity,
  policies and practices.

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Resource Allocation Framework

• Context
• GEF mission related to the global environment
• GEF relations with conventions
• Strategic planning framework of the GEF Business
  Plan
• Institutional structure of the GEF.

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• DISCUSSION SESSION