WASHINGTON, September 26, 2008 — More than $4 million was awarded in seed money to 22 innovative agricultural projects today at the end of the 2008 Development Marketplace, a competitive grant program that aims to spur sustainable development. The 2008 global competition was co-sponsored by the GEF, World Bank Group, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and GTZ.Winners represented 16 countries.

WASHINGTON DC, September 24-26 -One hundred finalists from 42 countries are in Washington DC to present their innovative projects and competing for small grants for projects on sustainable agriculture for development. Watch the event live and make yourself heard through the DM08 Blog.

SAINT JOHN, Antigua and Barbuda - September 8-12, 2008 – The GEF has participated as an Observer, along with a number of NGOs and bilateral agencies, in a series of meeting events working towards an Action Plan for protection of the Marine Environment and the wildlife in the Wider Caribbean Region.

QUITO, Ecuador, September 10 – 12. Ecuador developed its second National Dialogue Initiative with the participation of 160 stakeholders representing national and local governmental institutions, local governments, non-governmental organizations, private sector, academy, implementing and executing agency country-based staff.

August 26, 2008 - Jean-Louis Borloo, the head of France's Ministry of Ecology, Development and Sustainable Management made his remarks to 14 environment ministers of West Africa attending a meeting held with the CEO of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Mrs. Monique Barbut. Following the meeting the ministers lauded the GEF's programmatic approach toward addressing global environmental challenges the region faces such as climate change.

COTONOU, Benin, August 25-26 - The Global Environment Facility GEF has invited Ministers from West African countries to meet in the capital of Benin for consultations on the GEF Regional Cooperation Programme. Monique Barbut, GEF CEO and Chairperson is leading the consultations to take stock of the program development status.

The Marine Plan of Action (MPA) launches its official blog, a joint IUCN and WCPA initiative.

In this article, published on the G8 Summit Magazine, Monique Barbut reflects on the challenges and opportunities we have to face to adapt and mitigate the Climate Change.

WASHINGTON/Nairobi, 8 August 2008 – A new project worth $26.45 million has been launched by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to better protect bees, bats and birds that are essential to the world’s crop production.

In 2008, soaring food prices spread throughout the world, resulting in crisis in many developing countries. The 2008 COM+ Communication Award will be granted to a campaign related to the food price crisis. Issued by COM+  which includes the GEF, the award recognizes the role of communications in attaining sustainable development goals. The Award carries a prize of US$10,000 and will be presented at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain, in October 2008.

The GEF is proud to announce that Sekou Toure, GEF Conflict Resolution Commissioner and Claudio Volonté, Chief Evaluation Officer at the GEF Evaluation Office, recently received recognition for their contribution to the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Walter Lusigi, PhD and senior environment specialist, recently retired after a well-respected tenure at the Global Environment Facility. A native of Kenya, Walter has country work experience in every part of the world and he has been the focal point for Land Degradation activities at the GEF over the last ten years.

WASHINGTON, DC, July 17, 2008 – The GEF has approved a unique $1.5 million initiative that is the first biodiversity emergency project after a natural disaster in China. It represents an innovative approach to address threats to pandas and other endangered species. The support will also help ensure the sustainability of future development initiatives, according to the United Nations Development Programme, which will implement the program in the field.

BOGOTA, Colombia, 16-18 July, 2008 - Colombia is holding the GEF National Dialogue, to provide a forum for consultations on global environmental management and national sustainable development issues in the country.

TOYAKO, Japan, July 9, 2008 - G8 nations meeting this week showcased the Global Environmental Facility's unique role in helping bring meet the urgent challenges of mitigation, adaptation and access to clean energy in developing countries.

HAVANA, Cuba, 8-10 July, 2008 - Focal Points from sixteen Caribbean countries attended the fifth Sub-Regional Workshop of the National Dialogue Initiative.

LONDON, June 19, 2008 - Grameen Shakti  of Bangladesh,a participating company in the GEF-IDA assisted Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development Project and China Renewable Energy Development Project were among the Ashden Award winners.

WINDHOEK, Namibia, 25-27 June, 2008 - The fourth Sub-Regional Workshop of the National Dialogue Initiative gather East and Southern Africa Focal Points.

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2008 – The World Bank Board today approved US$37.80 million to the Malawi Government to support investments aimed at improving food security and sustainable agricultural growth. The approved amount consists of a US$32 million International Development Association (IDA) credit, and a US$5.8 million Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant provided by the regional GEF investment program for sustainable land management linked to TerrAfrica.

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2008 – The World Bank’s Development Marketplace today announced the selection of 100 innovative ideas to promote sustainable agriculture to compete for grant funding at the Marketplace to be held September 24-25 at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C. This year’s global competition has been supported by the GEF and other partners.

WASHINGTON, June 9, 2008 ─ A worldwide alliance of tiger conservationists, scientists and celebrities have joined forces with the World Bank Group and the GEF to help save wild tigers.

Bonn, Germany, May 27, 2008 – The GEF delegation to the Ninth Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP-9) last week presented its report on its biodiversity program to over 7000 delegates and participants. Investment over the 2006-2007 reached a total of US$306 million...

Bonn, Germany, 27 May 2008 — Leaders from island nations and nations with islands around the world joined together today at an event held during a UN conference on biodiversity to announce significant conservation commitments to protect the future of islands, backed by pledges of more than $20 million in support...

MANILA, Philippines, May 15-16, 2008 - The GEF held a sub-regional workshop for national focal points from Asia. This workshops are an annual opportunity for GEF Focal Points to meet with their counterparts from other countries in the region and GEF Partners. During the event they discussed and reviewed policies and procedures and shared experiences and lessons learned  from development and implementation of GEF projects and their integration within national policy frameworks.

The project developed by Grupo Ecologico Las Macanas (GEMA), a community NGO that is implementing one of the Community Based Rural Tourism initiatives supported by the Small Grant Program Panama, received an award of excellence in the national competition “A good tourism business idea” from the Panamanian Ministry of Tourism and the Medium, Small & Micro Business Authority of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

WASHINGTON, DC, April 25, 2008. – This week, the Council of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved two new climate change related projects aimed at increasing energy efficiency in urban housing as well as public buildings in the Russian Federation.

WASHINGTON, DC, April 25, 2008 – The Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are joining together to support the preservation of Asia’s Coral Triangle, with the GEF committing $63 million to fund conservation of this area known as "the Amazon of the seas."

WASHINGTON, DC, April 25, 2008 – The Global Environment Facility has approved a new series of grants to a coalition of Pacific island states, a region considered among the world’s most vulnerable to climate change and other environmental challenges such as shrinking biodiversity.

Bali, December 8, 2007 –The world’s largest environmental funding body, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), said it plans to launch the Tropical Forest Account Initiative which will help safeguard forest ecosystems while strengthening sustainable financing for protected areas and for sustainable forest management.

Bali, November 30, 2007 - The world’s largest environmental funding body, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), stands ready to build on its past experience working with the most vulnerable countries that seek market-driven sustainable ways to adjust to climate change today.

Washingtom DC, November 16, 2007 - A groundbreaking environmentally-friendly land development program will soon allow thousand of farmers to adapt their farming practices to adjust to the impacts of climate change on agriculture.

The Global Environment Facility in coordination with the World Bank Group and its partners last month announced the Lighting Africa Development Marketplace Grant Competition. Entitled "Innovations in Off-Grid Lighting Products and Services for Africa," the competition seeks innovative Project ideas that address the various off-grid lighting needs of Sub-Saharan Africa, including alternative distribution models, new clean lighting technology, stronger production chains, and improvement of the policy environment.

Paris, 13 July, 2007--Over 500 delegates representing 190 Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) met at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from July 9–13, 2007 to look at ways to enhance tools for implementing the Convention and to integrate biodiversity concerns across all economic sectors through national biodiversity strategies and action plans.

Washington, DC, 15, June 2007 –Developing countries won a new partner in their fight to stem environmental degradation today as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) governing Council gave a $50 million green light to a new pilot Public Private Partnership (PPP).

Washington, DC, 15 June 2007 – The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council today approved a grant of $9.9 million to finance two climate adaptation projects designed to help communities in Ecuador and Peru combat problems associated with glacial retreat in the tropical Andes and improve water management in Ecuador.

Washington, DC, 15 June 2007 – Over 28 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa will launch activities to fight land degradation, thanks to an innovative $150 million program approved by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council in Washington today.

Washington, DC, 15 June 2007 – The GEF Council today approved a landmark grant of $4.8 million to strengthen Costa Rica’s famed but threatened national parks system. The system, for many years a world-class standard of environmental excellence, is threatened by deforestation, illegal harvesting of resources, and management inefficiencies.

Washington, DC, 15 June 2007 – A new, $13.5 million project approved today by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council will help Brazil to consolidate hard-won gains in energy efficiency, and eliminate technical, financial, and policy-related barriers that are impeding the use of energy-efficient (EE) technologies in buildings.

Washington, DC, 9 May 2007 – A new environment strategy,  backed by a proposed $100 million grant package from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) was agreed to by Heads of State and top government leaders representing 15 small island developing states (SIDS) and territories of the Pacific Ocean region today.  The funding, representing a six-fold increase over previous GEF financing for the region, will be used to fight climate change, protect island species and shared waters, and conserve the fragile environment of the islands.

WASHINGTON, DC, March 22, 2007  (Winning the Water Wars? New Models for Post-Conflict Cooperation on Water) -  On World Water Day 2007, we stand face-to-face with the frightening specter of increasingly scarce and poor-quality water around the globe. In the public glare of this urgent problem, there are success stories which identify real solutions. They deserve to be aired and understood.

WASHINGTON, DC, January 30, 2007.  The just-concluded World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland may well have succeeded in casting the spotlight on climate change, but practical solutions are already being developed.  Monique Barbut, GEF CEO saw a pioneering project during a recent visit to Koratgere village, a two-hour drive from teeming Bangalore city, deep in the heart of Karnataka state dubbed India’s Silicon valley.

WASHINGTON, DC, December 5, 2006. In a major policy speech to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council meeting today, Monique Barbut, GEF CEO and Chairperson, outlined an exciting new vision for GEF, the world’s largest financier of global environmental protection projects. “I want to break apart the complex web of bureaucracy which today defines the GEF and put in place a five-point Sustainability Compact so that the GEF can be counted on as a leading force for sustainable development for all people,” she said.