About the GEF-8 Corporate Scorecard
The GEF-8 Corporate Scorecard is a comprehensive report on the performance of the Global Environment Facility during the GEF-8 period. In particular, the Scorecard reports on the progress made towards the achievement of the GEF-8 targets. It also looks at how the GEF is utilizing resources available for its eighth replenishment cycle and making progress in the implementation of key policies. The Scorecard is published twice a year; this issue includes all projects approved from July 2022 to date, including the February 2024 Work Program.
Foreword
This edition of the Corporate Scorecard highlights the cumulative impact of transformative investments supported in GEF-8 across crucial environmental areas. It covers the first three Work Programs in GEF-8, of which the latest two are the largest since GEF’s inception. Before reaching the halfway point, $2.48 billion of the $5.33 billion for GEF-8 has been programmed.
Through its current replenishment cycle, the GEF is helping countries deliver transformational outcomes under the Healthy Planet, Healthy People framework. Integrated programs, projects, and other programs aim altogether to support close to 200 million hectares of protected areas, rehabilitate 7.6 million hectares of land and ecosystems, mitigate 1,610 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, enhance the management of 22 shared water ecosystems, and eliminate 66 thousand metric tons of chemicals of global concern and their waste. Collectively, these investments are expected to improve the quality of life for nearly 22 million people.
Integrated Programs account for a large share of progress in reaching GEF-8 results targets. They contribute up to 45 percent of the target for protecting terrestrial areas and 57 percent of the target for mitigating CO2 emissions. A record number of 93 countries participate in Integrated Programs, of which 26 are Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and 31 are Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
Progress in allocating financing is highest in the biodiversity focal area, where 60 percent of resources are now part of approved projects and programs. Notably, SIDS and LDCs have already used over half of their allocated resources, attesting to a strong country demand for GEF financing by these countries.
GEF provides crucial financing to support biodiversity conservation, address climate change, and achieve land restoration goals. This is evident as each of the Rio marker targets for GEF investments have been surpassed, with 88 percent of financing allocated with climate objectives, 83 percent for biodiversity, and 68 percent for land restoration.
Mobilized resources exceed the targeted overall co-financing ratio, with $7.9 mobilized for every GEF dollar invested. Blended finance investments supporting nature and climate reach a noteworthy average co-financing ratio of 26:1. Overall portfolio co-financing includes dedicated investment resources with a ratio of 6.3:1, surpassing the targeted levels. The private sector’s contribution to co-financing now reaches almost $3 billion.
The activities outlined in the Country Engagement Strategy (CES) play a pivotal role in facilitating countries’ unprecedented level of programming. In conjunction with 13 GEF-8 Roll-out Regional Workshops, Upstream Technical and National Dialogues were conducted in 41 countries. These dialogues focus particularly on socializing programming strategies, with a specific emphasis on Integrated Programs. Expanded Constituency Workshops were held in person, bringing together countries from Europe and Central Asia, the Middle East, and North and Southern Africa. They engage key GEF country partners from governments, agencies, conventions, and civil society organizations. Additionally, two interactive multi-day Introduction Seminars, involving 400 members of the GEF Partnership, were conducted online.
Integrating gender equality considerations and active engagement with stakeholders are intrinsic components of project and program design, serving as crucial elements in augmenting the delivery of Global Environmental Benefits. Furthermore, agencies have expressed their commitment to expand their involvement with the private sector during project preparation.
The GEF Assembly was held in August 2023 and marked a pivotal moment in the GEF’s history, providing a critical stocktaking for 2030 goals to end pollution and nature loss, combat climate change, and propel inclusive, locally-led conservation. The knowledge exchanged during this high-level event will help GEF partners to continue to learn how to achieve even more significant environmental outcomes in the future, underpinned by the recently approved knowledge management and learning strategy.
As the GEF mandate grows, strategic communications and media outreach are critical. Building on the new communication and visibility policy, this involves promoting achievements and contributions from across the GEF partnership through storytelling, focused publications, a robust digital presence, and active participation in global events.
Contents
- Contribution to the Generation of Global Environmental Benefits
- Integrated and Other Programs
- Programming by Focal Area
- Programming by GEF Agency
- System for Transparent Allocation of Resources
- Biodiversity, Climate, and Land Degradation Financing
- Co-Financing
- Climate Change Adaptation
- Gender Equality
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Country Engagement Strategy
- Communications
- Knowledge and Learning
1. Contribution to the Generation of Global Environmental Benefits
Projects and programs deliver significant levels of expected results for GEF-8 against the Core Indicator targets, presented here along the results areas of the GEF-8 Results Measurement Framework and highlighting the contribution of Integrated Programs.
The GEF-8 Results Measurement Framework is organized around five results areas, which group together Core Indicators on Global Environmental Benefits, associated sub-indicators and sex-disaggregated metrics on direct beneficiaries.
2. Integrated and Other Programs
Integrated Programs are poised to deliver environmental benefits on a large scale in GEF-8. To date, a total of 93 countries are participating in these programs, with some in more than one program.
3. Programming by Focal Area
This section summarizes the progress made in programming GEF-8 resources to date. It provides a cumulative summary of GEF-8 utilization of funds against the programming envelopes established during the GEF-8 Replenishment.
4. Programming by GEF Agency
GEF agencies submit new projects and programs in GEF-8 in response to country demand. The data shown here reflects the respective Agency share of cumulative programming in GEF-8.
5. System for Transparent Allocation of Resources
Utilization of resources allocated to countries under the System for the Transparent Allocation of Resources (STAR) is increasing across the three focal areas it covers—biodiversity, climate change, and land degradation—and in every region.
6. Biodiversity, Climate, and Land Degradation Financing
GEF financing contributing toward Biodiversity, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation and Land Degradation as a principal or significant objective is tracked against indicative targets, consistent with the OECD DAC Rio marker methodology. Climate-related financing refers to any GEF investment considered as principal or significant for Climate Change Adaptation and/or Mitigation.
7. Co-Financing
The Policy on Co-Financing sets out a goal for the overall GEF portfolio to reach a ratio of co-financing to GEF project financing of at least 7:1, and for the portfolio of projects and programs approved in Upper-Middle Income Countries and High-Income Countries that are not Small Island Developing States or Least Developed Countries to reach a ratio of investment mobilized to GEF project financing of at least 5:1. Co-Financing means financing that is additional to GEF Project Financing, and that supports the implementation of a GEF-financed project or program and the achievement of its objectives. Investment Mobilized means Co-Financing that excludes recurrent expenditures. Enabling Activities qualify for full agreed costs funding from the GEF; there is no co-finance requirement for Enabling Activities.
8. Climate Change Adaptation
The GEF-8 Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) results framework is linked to the GEF Programming Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change for the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF). Core Indicators track the progress in Adaptation Benefits, including beneficiaries disaggregated by gender. This section depicts the expected results from approved projects and programs.
9. Gender Equality
Without greater equality between men and women, the world will not meet its environment objectives. That’s why the GEF is making sure that projects are gender informed, giving women and men equal opportunities to contribute and benefit from them.
10. Stakeholder Engagement
Including stakeholders—civil society organizations, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and the private sector—in preparing projects and defining their expected roles during implementation is key in strengthening the overall impact of a project. The data show that over three-quarters of projects consulted and took into account civil society and the private sector in their design. Not all projects have Indigenous Peoples or private sector as stakeholders. Therefore, the percentages are expected to be lower than those reported for civil society
11. Country Engagement Strategy
The Country Engagement Strategy (CES) empowers countries to improve portfolio progress and maximize the impact of GEF resources, including through capacity strengthening activities, upstream country engagement and country-specific knowledge activities. To date, 13 Regional GEF-8 roll-out workshops and 41 Upstream Technical and National Dialogues helped countries identify programming priorities for GEF-8. The online GEF calendar provides information on CES events.
12. Communications
In June 2023, the 64th GEF Council approved a new communication and visibility policy. The new policy, supported by updated brand guidelines, will help to make the GEF better known and raise awareness about the unique and important role it plays.
Ensuring strong, clear, and consistent communications strategies across the GEF Partnership is vital to ensure that donors, recipient countries, and other stakeholders see the value of GEF-funded activities and initiatives. Creating a more coordinated, appropriately funded approach at the global, Agency, program, and project level will help to better communicate the GEF’s impacts and results.
13. Knowledge and Learning
In August 2023, the seventh GEF Assembly brought together over 1,500 people and served as a pivotal platform for fostering knowledge exchange and sharing, empowering GEF partners and stakeholders to better deliver global environmental benefits. This included four high level panels focused on addressing key global environmental issues, eleven roundtables on substantive aspects of the GEF-8 programming, a Science Day organized by STAP to discuss emerging trends, a youth and civil society day, and more than seventy side events organized by GEF agencies and partners.
In October 2023, GEF Council approved a new strategy for Knowledge Management and Learning. The implementation will focus on three main objectives:
- Embedding cutting-edge knowledge into investments and generate public goods in line with GEF mandate and enhance the role of knowledge management in projects and programs.
- Increasing knowledge flows through platforms, partnerships, and communities of practice; and
- Creating and enabling the environment for learning and capacity building for greater exchange of knowledge and collaboration across the partnership.
The GEF continues to provide a series of different courses online, and over 10,000 participants received a certificate upon completion of the e-course on gender and the environment.
A new Good Practice Brief on Protecting Biodiversity by Respecting Rights: Recognizing and Supporting Indigenous Peoples and Local Community Conserve Areas in the Philippines was produced. The Brief highlights the effectiveness of co-management of protected areas with Indigenous Peoples Organizations and mainstreaming the approach into national and local governments.