The projects reflect a shift toward implementation-focused environmental finance, with funding tied to defined outcomes rather than policy signaling. Together, they address land and marine degradation, transport emissions, and the institutional gaps that limit climate accountability in developing economies.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said the new investments help convert recent multilateral commitments into operational programs across climate, biodiversity, and pollution priorities. Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO and Chairperson of the GEF, described the projects as integrated interventions designed to deliver benefits for both ecosystems and communities.
Two of the four initiatives focus on Madagascar, combining ecosystem protection with transport decarbonization. A $7.2 million project will support improved management of more than 655,000 hectares of wetlands and marine ecosystems, restore 24,000 hectares of mangroves, and reach approximately 60,000 people through climate-resilient livelihoods. The project is expected to mitigate more than 41 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, reinforcing the role of wetlands as long-term climate assets.
A separate $2 million addendum will support the expansion of electric mobility systems in the country. The funding is aimed at strengthening policy frameworks, institutions, and technical capacity to reduce vehicle-related emissions and air pollution, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas.
In Indonesia, a $9 million project will focus on improving coordination across marine and coastal governance systems to support a sustainable blue economy. The initiative targets sustainable management of 1.42 million hectares of marine habitat, restoration of 50,000 hectares of mangroves and seagrass, and avoidance of an estimated 2.19 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over a 20-year period. Approximately 200,000 people are expected to benefit through improved ecosystem services and livelihoods.
The project also addresses land–sea pollution by integrating spatial planning and sectoral oversight, an area of growing concern for coastal nations facing development pressure and climate impacts.
The largest allocation, $34.6 million—will support 25 countries in preparing and submitting Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) and combined national communications to the UNFCCC under the Paris Agreement. The program will enable the production of 50 national climate reports, strengthening emissions tracking, policy evaluation, and institutional continuity for climate governance.
As reporting requirements under the Paris framework increase, limited technical and administrative capacity remains a barrier for many countries. This initiative is intended to address that gap directly.
The new approvals build on more than three decades of collaboration between UNEP and the GEF. Since the partnership began, the two institutions have delivered more than 1,000 projects across 160 countries, supported by $3.3 billion in donor contributions. Over the past eight years, joint programs have helped prevent 77 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, restore 6.5 million hectares of land, rehabilitate 1.1 million hectares of marine ecosystems, and strengthen chemicals and waste management policies in 70 countries.
With the GEF-9 replenishment scheduled for 2026, the focus now shifts to whether these models can be scaled fast enough to meet accelerating climate and environmental risks.
