Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), hosted by the GEF
- The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
The GBFF, a trust fund operated by the GEF to support the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and launched in August 2023, had approximately $384 million pledged by 12 contributors, with around 98 percent received. The GEF's Independent Evaluation Office counted 82 selected projects (US$362.1 million) by March 2026, of which only three had entered implementation.
From 11 sovereign contributors and one non-sovereign contributor; around 98 percent received in cash or promissory notes. The Trustee's report to 31 March 2025 gave USD eq. 383.17 million pledged and USD eq. 332.15 million received.
Status As of June 2026: the IEO reported approximately $384 million pledged, around 98 percent received, 82 projects selected and three in implementation; no measured result for nature is on record.
- Recipient countries and projects — 82 projects selected for $362.1 million of GBFF financing by March 2026; 39 percent to SIDS and LDCs GEF Independent Evaluation Office
- Indigenous peoples and local communities — 31 percent of resources allocated to actions by indigenous peoples and local communities, against an aspirational 20 percent GEF Independent Evaluation Office
- Contributing governments — Pledged approximately $384 million; three donors provided 81 percent GEF Independent Evaluation Office
What happened
The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) was established after the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at COP 15 invited the GEF to operate the trust fund (decision CBD/COP/DEC/15/7). The GEF Council approved the arrangements at its 64th meeting in June 2023 "with the aim to support the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework", and the GEF Assembly endorsed the decision in August 2023; the GEF page says the fund launched at the Seventh GEF Assembly in Vancouver in August 2023. The World Bank acts as Trustee.
The Trustee's financial report, as of 31 March 2025, recorded that 12 donors had pledged and signed contribution agreements or arrangements amounting to USD eq. 383.17 million, that the Trustee had received USD eq. 332.15 million in cash and promissory notes, that cumulative funding decisions amounted to USD 208.84 million (USD 184.68 million for projects and project preparation, USD 16.94 million for fees and USD 7.22 million for administrative expenses), and that the Trustee had transferred USD 26.12 million to Agencies. The GEF page lists the contributors as Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, the Province of Québec, Spain and the United Kingdom, and gave $386 million pledged as of June 2025. The Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) gave approximately $384 million from 12 contributors in April 2026, with around 98 percent received and one donor with an outstanding balance, and said 81 percent came from three donors (Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom).
Programming began with a first tranche of $211 million launched at the first Council meeting in February 2024; the first tranche, which ran to August 2025, programmed $201.6 million for 40 projects benefiting 41 countries, and a second tranche of $161.8 million opened in August 2025. The IEO's formative evaluation (28 April 2026), covering the launch to March 2026, counted 82 projects selected from 255 submissions across five rounds, totalling $362.1 million in GBFF financing, a selection rate of 32 percent. It reported $1.39 billion in co-financing for the selected projects in its presentation to the Council, and 87 countries.
The IEO found "strong early performance as a catalytic financing mechanism" with "structural trade-offs", and reported that portfolio-level targets were met: 39 percent of resources went to SIDS and LDCs, 30 percent was programmed through international financial institutions against a 25 percent target, and 31 percent supported actions by indigenous peoples and local communities against an aspirational 20 percent target. It wrote that "Early implementation remains limited, with only three projects having entered this stage to date", that gaps remained in theories of change, baselines and financing structures, that the contributor base was highly concentrated, and that "the absence of a replenishment mechanism reduces predictability and complicates multi-year planning". It compared about $384 million in GBFF pledges and about $1.92 billion allocated to biodiversity in GEF-8 with the Framework ambition of mobilising at least $200 billion annually by 2030. No source reviewed reports a measured change for nature from the Fund.
- 2023Following CBD decision CBD/COP/DEC/15/7 inviting the GEF to operate a trust fund, the GEF Council approves the arrangements (June); the fund launches at the Seventh GEF Assembly in Vancouver (August)
- 2024First GBFF Council meeting launches a first tranche of $211 million (February)
- 2025Trustee reports USD eq. 383.17 million pledged and USD eq. 332.15 million received (31 March)
- 2025Second programming tranche of $161.8 million opens (August)
- 2026IEO formative evaluation (28 April): 82 projects, $362.1 million, three in implementation; presented to the 6th GBFF Council (6 June)
What was said
“with the aim to support the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework”
“Early implementation remains limited, with only three projects having entered this stage to date”
“the absence of a replenishment mechanism reduces predictability and complicates multi-year planning”
Where accounts differ
Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.
12 donors pledged and signed contribution agreements amounting to USD eq. 383.17 million; USD eq. 332.15 million received.
World Bank as TrusteeApproximately $384 million from 11 sovereign contributors and one non-sovereign contributor, around 98 percent already received.
GEF Independent Evaluation OfficeHow it looked
Shown
- GBFF described as demonstrating "strong early performance as a catalytic financing mechanism" with 82 projects, $362M GBFF financing and $1.39B co-financing.GEF Independent Evaluation Office, Council presentation and evaluation summary · GEF Independent Evaluation Office
Recorded
- Trustee, 31 March 2025: USD eq. 383.17 million pledged by 12 donors; USD eq. 332.15 million received; USD 208.84 million in cumulative funding decisions.
- IEO, April 2026: approximately $384 million from 12 contributors with around 98 percent received; 82 projects selected (US$362.1 million); only three projects in implementation.
- No source reviewed reports a measured change for nature from GBFF projects.
In nature's name
Promised
- “with the aim to support the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” — Trustee report, describing the GEF Council's approval of the fund's arrangements in June 2023 (27 May 2025) World Bank as Trustee
Money moved in nature's name
| What | Kind | Amount | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contributions pledged and signed by 12 donors 12 donors World Bank as Trustee | Pledged | $383m | 2023–31 March 2025 |
| Contributions received by the Trustee Trustee World Bank as Trustee | Raised | $332m | 2023–31 March 2025 |
| Cumulative funding decisions by the Council and CEO GBFF Council and GEF CEO World Bank as Trustee | Budget | $209m | 2024–31 March 2025 |
| Cash transferred by the Trustee to Agencies Trustee World Bank as Trustee | Paid out | $26m | 2024–31 March 2025 |
| First programming tranche programmed GEF Secretariat GEF Secretariat | Budget | $202m | February 2024–August 2025 |
| GBFF financing for the 82 projects selected GBFF Council and CEO GEF Independent Evaluation Office | Budget | $362m | February 2024–March 2026 |
What was measured
The IEO's formative evaluation covers the fund's design, governance and portfolio up to March 2026 and states that early implementation remains limited, with only three projects having entered implementation. No independent measurement of a change for nature is on record; the fund's portfolio-level figures are those of the GEF and its evaluation office on selection and allocation, not outcomes.
Operation Ongoing · The IEO notes the absence of a replenishment mechanism; a second programming tranche opened in August 2025. GEF Independent Evaluation Office
Findings on record
- Official audit GEF Independent Evaluation Office (2026-04-28) · evaluation presented to the 6th Council of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, GEF/GBFF.6/E/01: “Early implementation remains limited, with only three projects having entered this stage to date” GEF Independent Evaluation Office
- Official audit GEF Independent Evaluation Office (2026-04-28) · evaluation presented to the 6th Council of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, financing and resource mobilization: “the absence of a replenishment mechanism reduces predictability and complicates multi-year planning” GEF Independent Evaluation Office
Who gained
Reached nature or the ground
Gained elsewhere
Responses on record
- GEF Secretariat (26 November 2025): Programme report to the 5th GBFF Council said the first tranche programmed $201.6 million for 40 projects benefiting 41 countries. · GEF Secretariat
- GEF Independent Evaluation Office (28 April 2026): Found strong early performance as a catalytic financing mechanism with structural trade-offs, and recommended coordination across the GEF family of funds, stronger feedback and technical review, implementation of the enhanced results framework and better reporting on whole-of-society participation. · GEF Independent Evaluation Office
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
Insurers
What nature saw
Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.
What we don't know
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Accounts
- Disputed Amount pledged to the GBFF
Record
- Not measured Not measured: any change for nature from GBFF projects. The IEO states that early implementation remains limited, with only three projects having entered implementation.
- Disputed Disputed: pledge totals differ by date and source (USD eq. 383.17 million at 31 March 2025 from the Trustee; $386 million as of June 2025 on the GEF page; approximately $384 million from the IEO in 2026).
- Disputed Disputed: approved amounts are stated on different bases (over $288 million approved on the GEF page, undated; $201.6 million programmed for the first tranche to August 2025; $362.1 million selected in the IEO count).
- None on record None on record: a Trustee financial report later than 31 March 2025 in the sources reviewed.
Did the harm stop?
The sources reviewed report no change in the biodiversity loss the Fund addresses; the IEO states that early implementation remains limited.
Who paid?
Twelve contributors, 11 sovereign and one non-sovereign (the Province of Québec), pledged approximately $384 million; three donors (Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom) provided 81 percent according to the IEO's presentation.
Sources
International bodies
- Global Biodiversity Framework FundGlobal Environment Facility · 2026 (read 2026-10-21)
- Status Report for the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (Financial Report prepared by the Trustee), GEF/GBFF.04/Inf.03World Bank as Trustee · 2025-05-27
- Progress Report on the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, GEF/GBFF.05/03GEF Secretariat · 2025-11-26
- GBFF Program Evaluation, 6th CouncilGEF Independent Evaluation Office · 2026-06
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