COP25: GEF, GCF to showcase power of partnership

The 25th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP25), taking place in Madrid December 2-13, is a critical opportunity for governments to chart the next frontier of climate action, both in tackling carbon emissions and adapting to a warming planet.

As financial mechanism of the UN climate convention (UNFCCC), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) will play a central role in Madrid in helping advance negotiations on topics such as finance and technology transfer, and in highlighting examples of where climate change action is bearing fruit, where it can be scaled up, and where more work must be done, especially in least developed countries.

“The negative impacts of climate change are already upon us. This is a major crisis and we need to tackle it through transformational change across our food, urban, and energy systems, and with a move to a circular economy,” GEF CEO and Chairperson, Naoko Ishii, said ahead of the summit. “In Madrid, we need to seize the chance to share experiences and visions for putting change into motion with new approaches and partners, including close collaboration between climate funds and financing bodies.”

This year, for the first time, the GEF will share a dedicated pavilion with the Green Climate Fund as an illustration of the two trust funds’ shared commitment to addressing the climate crisis and helping developing countries raise and realize their climate ambitions in service to the Paris Agreement struck two years ago.

The GCF + GEF Pavilion will be a networking hub and the site of multiple side events focused on topics including sustainable food and land use, carbon pricing, blended finance, and energy and water solutions. On December 11, the GEF will also announce the results of a new Challenge Program for Adaptation Innovation, which will provide seed funding to promising climate adaptation projects that can help developing countries improve their climate resilience and offer scalable solutions for multiple sectors.

The GEF is also hosting two side events as part of the COP25 program – a December 4 session on scaling up climate change adaptation in vulnerable countries, and a December 6 session on the potential of electric mobility for urban sustainability.