Gef

GEF most commonly refers to the Global Environment Facility, an international financial mechanism established in 1991 to fund environmental projects in developing countries and economies in transition. It serves as a financial mechanism for several major environmental treaties and conventions and aims to provide knowledge, funding, and technical assistance to address biodiversity loss, climate change, land degradation, chemicals and waste, and international waters, with additional emphasis on sustainable forest management and sustainable livelihoods. It operates through a partnership of donor and recipient governments and a network of implementing agencies that channel funds—most notably the World Bank and several United Nations organizations—while encouraging co-financing from other sources.

Governance is provided by the GEF Council, consisting of member governments, and a Secretariat based in Washington, D.C. Donor nations contribute multi-year replenishments, while implementing agencies carry out project design, appraisal, and monitoring. The GEF also works with partner organizations, civil society, the private sector, and local communities to ensure project effectiveness and knowledge sharing. Since inception, it has approved numerous projects across nearly all world regions, contributing to biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable land management, and the reduction of persistent pollutants.

In addition to the Global Environment Facility, the acronym GEF can refer to other entities, including the Graphics Execution Facility, a component in certain graphics processing architectures. The context typically clarifies which meaning is intended.