New Strategy for Environmental Goals

Naoko Ishii, the CEO of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) announced the launch of the GEF effort to develop a “GEF 2020 Strategy” at the 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP11), which occurred this month.

The GEF is the largest public funder of global environmental projects. It partners 182 countries with international institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector to help resolve environmental problems and support sustainable development. 

The "GEF 2020 Strategy" will set certain long-term goals for the global environment and position the GEF as an innovator and a partner in supporting the achievement of these environmental objectives worldwide.

Naoko Ishii assured that the strategy would support the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets as well as hold up to any assistance that the GEF may receive from the CBD COP. The Aichi Targets design a plan to create global policies with the purpose of protecting endangered species and threatened ecosystems, expanding protected areas, and promoting a broader understanding of the economic value of biodiversity.

The GEF strategy underlines the necessity that GEF must focus on scaling up programs that globally impact the environement, including biodiversity, climate change, forest preservation and international waters. The strategy will promote the integration of the evaluation of natural caption in to all relevant decision-making.