The Global Environment Facility Trust Fund (GEF Trust Fund) was established in 1991 and successfully completed its pilot phase as the Global Environment Trust Fund (GET) in 1994. The GEF Trust Fund has been active since 1994. Every four years there is a new replenishment cycle where the GEF Trust Fund is refilled with pledges from the 39 donor countries. It is placed under the direction of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and serves as a financing instrument for the various conventions on the environment (climate, biodiversity, desertification) adopted at the Rio Summit in 1992.
Objectives
The GEF Trust Fund supports developing and newly industrialized countries in implementing international goals in the fields of biodiversity, climate change, international waters, degradation, desertification, deforestation, ozone layer reduction and persistent organic pollutants.
The GEF Council is the governing body for the GEF. The Council is comprised of 14 members from donor constituencies and 18 from recipient constituencies (a total of 32 GEF members). It develops, adopts, and evaluates the operational policies and programs for GEF-financed activities, and reviews and approves the work program (projects submitted for approval), making decisions by consensus. Germany is a member of the GEF Council with a representative from BMZ and an alternate from BMUKN.
The projects and programs are based on national priorities and pursue the goal of sustainable development. Various regional and international organizations like the World Bank and other multilateral actors are active in the implementation of its projects and programs.
Key developments
The fund is in its eigth replenishment cycle (GEF-8) which was 30% higher than the funding target for GEF-7. The GEF defines its strategic framework in its focal areas (climate change, biodiversity, land degradation, water and chemicals and waste) in its Programming Directions. Among the GEF prioirties for GEF-8 have been nature-based solutions lik “green” and “blue” investments in landscapes and marine ecosystems and the suport for a circular economy.
The new replenishment cycle, GEF-9, will start in July 2026 and run until June 2030. In April, 2025 the GEF Secretariat published the draft Programming Directions for GEF-9.
Funding volume and Germany’s contribution
The GEF was endowed with $5,33 billion for GEF-8 by donor countries. Germany’s pledge to climate change financing for GEF-8 amounted to about €700 million. Germany is thus the biggest donors to the GEF in absolute numbers. (as of November 2025)
