Eight governments pledged an additional $163 million to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) on Monday, October 28, 2024, providing new targeted support to countries and communities working to conserve, restore, and ensure the long-term health of wild species and ecosystems.
During the Convention on Biological Diversity’s sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP16), representatives from Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, and Québec announced new financing for the fund that supports implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
They were joined by representatives of the GBFF’s other early contributors including Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, and Spain, and from countries that have received support to date from the Global Environment Facility-hosted fund, among them Brazil, Gabon, Mexico, and Fiji, plus representatives of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, major philanthropies, and implementing agency partners such as the World Bank.
“I want to thank the national and subnational donors who stepped forward today to contribute to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund. We know that the fund is needed now more than ever. We need it to be capitalised to permit resources to flow urgently to the national implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework,” said Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. “This is about money and morale. A message of hope and global solidarity.”
“I think this session and the pledges that will come to the GBFF is very important for the next days and the decisions that we will be taking,” said Colombia’s Environment Minister and COP16 President, Susana Muhamad. “We all should consider ourselves partners with a common objective, which is actually in this case being able to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.”
The GBFF was established at the request of parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP15 and was launched less than a year later at the Seventh GEF Assembly in August 2023. It has streamlined procedures to provide efficient support for developing countries, and can receive contributions from all sources, including public, private, and philanthropies.
“In less than one year, the GBFF has moved from launch to full-speed operation, with projects already reviewed, approved, and funded, and many more in the pipeline. The growing number of governments contributing to the GBFF is a sign of its momentum,” said GEF CEO and Chairperson, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez.
“Now that the fund is up and running, we have the systems in place to disburse support efficiently and at low cost. We are focused on continued improvements to keep up with the pace of ambition for biodiversity action, while keeping the necessary safeguards to ensure quality and trust for long-term, lasting results for nature,” Rodríguez added.
The funding announced in Cali included the first financing to the GBFF from a sub-national government.
“The Government of Québec is proud to be the first subnational government to contribute to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund. If we want to ensure the successful implementation of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework, and make sure to leave no one behind, we need to fully endorse a whole of society and whole of government approach,” said Martine Biron, Minister of International Relations and la Francophonie, Government of Québec.
“Québec is a longstanding contributor in climate cooperation, and we hope that this first substantial financial pledge in biodiversity will inspire other stakeholders to help everyone, especially the most vulnerable countries, to reach our common goal to live in harmony with nature,” added Biron.
In June 2024, the GBFF Council approved the fund’s first work program, with four projects in Brazil, Gabon, and Mexico, and another 18 project preparation grants approved. In total, 24 developing countries, including 13 Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, are currently accessing support from the fund.
GBFF support helps countries strengthen national-level biodiversity management, policy, governance, and resource mobilisation, including blended finance to leverage private sector financing. The fund has a target of having 20 percent of its funding support led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Canada, said: “These new pledges to the Global Biodiversity Fund are necessary to keep up momentum and contribute to close the biodiversity finance gap. It’s great to see partners like the government of Québec supporting these efforts. I urge all countries in a position to do so, as well as the private sector, philanthropic organisations, and other entities, to contribute to and collaborate with the GBFF to ensure the fund’s ongoing success and the full delivery of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework objectives.”
Magnus Heunicke, Denmark’s Environment Minister, said: “We have a shared global responsibility to protect nature and biodiversity, and urgent joint action is needed if we are to protect and restore the species and habitats that remain. With this support to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, we emphasise the Danish commitment to conserve biodiversity globally.”
Agnès Pannier-Runacher, French Minister for Ecological Transition, Energy, Climate and Risk Prevention, said: “France is committed to deliver on international biodiversity finance, which according to the latest data is on a path towards our 2025 joint objective. With this first contribution to the GBFF, we are proud to stand alongside other donors and demonstrate our support for this fund, whose creation and first projects have been approved in record time, with a dedicated funding window for vulnerable countries that we wish to replicate and expand in the context of GEF-9.”
Jochen Flasbarth, Germany’s State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), said: “The GBFF is a key tool to scale up biodiversity finance and supports the quick implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The first projects are ready for implementation. The GBFF is delivering and demonstrates its ability to create impact on the ground: for nature and for people. Therefore, Germany will contribute an additional 50 million euro to the GBFF in 2024. However, additional funding from public and private sources is essential to keep up the GBFF’s promising development. That is why Germany is committing additional resources and urges other countries to join this effort!”
Serge Wilmes, Luxembourg’s Minister for the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, said: “At COP16, we continue our support for the GBFF. As the biggest per capita contributor, Luxembourg exemplifies a robust global commitment to scaling up biodiversity financing. A united effort is crucial for achieving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework goals. Together, we are building positive momentum and showcasing our dedication to a sustainable future.”
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: “New Zealand is pleased to contribute to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund to help protect the world’s biodiversity and the services it provides for bolstering resilience to climate change and supporting economic sectors such as agriculture and tourism. New Zealand provided NZ$20 million to the GBFF in June 2024. This support complements New Zealand’s current work in managing invasive species, promoting resilient islands and other projects being delivered in the Pacific.”
Tore O. Sandvik, Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment, said: “With this pledge to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, GBFF, we are broadening our total international nature investment to ramp up targeted support for countries and communities’ own efforts. This is essential as we work to advance a nature-positive economy, with policies and incentives that align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework goals and targets.”
