The Global Environment Facility was established on the eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to help tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems. Since then, the GEF has provided over $19.2 billion in grants and mobilized an additional $101.4 billion in co-financing for more than 4,700 projects in 170 countries. In addition, under the Small Grants Programme, the GEF has financed 23,991 projects in 128 countries.
The GEF Partnership recently agreed to a new direction in its work to achieve greater results and help to meet rising challenges. This agreement is set out in the Summary of the Negotiations of the Seventh Replenishment of the GEF. In combination with its traditional investments under the Conventions, the GEF is:
- Strategically focusing its investments to catalyze transformational change in key systems that are driving major environmental loss, in particular energy, cities and food;
- Prioritizing integrated projects and programs that address more than one global environmental problem at a time, building on the GEF’s unique position and mandate to act on a wide range of global environmental issues; and
- Implementing new strategies and policies to enhance results, including stronger engagement with the private sector, indigenous peoples, and civil society, and an increased focus on gender equality.
We depend on nature for so many things: materials, medicines, clean air and water, a stable climate…the list goes on. Many studies have shown the benefits of nature for people’s mental and physical health, and many people connect with nature on a spiritual level.
The ecosystems that provide us with this priceless service depend on an incredibly diverse range of species that interconnect to form a complex web. When a species is lost, we risk upsetting this fine balance so that the whole system, once rich in variety, becomes much more vulnerable to natural disasters, human disturbance and climate change. In the worst-case scenario, the whole ecosystem can collapse – a tragedy in itself, and a threat to all those who depend on it.
Sadly, our planet’s stunning array of species is under serious threat, from habitat loss, pollution, hunting and myriad other human-made pressures. Biodiversity is being lost at 1,000 times the natural rate.
Whichever way you look at it, humankind has an imperative – whether moral or economic – to protect this biodiversity. All of us, from governments to businesses to individuals, need to work together if we are to save our planet’s rich natural resources.
The consequences of failing to safeguard our forests, seas, wetlands and grasslands and the wealth of species they support – including humans – would be devastating. FFI is under no illusions about the enormity of the challenges facing our natural world. But we have an impressive track record in tackling those challenges.
We have been behind some of the most significant initiatives in the history of conservation. And we continue to play a key role in safeguarding some of the world’s most iconic plants and animals, including Sumatran tigers, mountain gorillas, African and Asian elephants, baobabs and proteas. We also champion less-familiar or neglected species such as the Siamese crocodile, Sunda pangolin, Saint Lucia racer and saiga antelope
The Environmental Working Group’s mission is to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. With breakthrough research and education, we drive consumer choice and civic action.
We are a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment.
We work for you. Do you know what’s in your tap water? What about your shampoo? What’s lurking in the cleaners underneath your sink? What pesticides are on your food? How about the farms, fracking wells and factories in your local area? Do you know what safeguards they use to protect your water, soil, air and your kids? Which large agribusinesses get your tax dollars and why? What are GMOs? What do they do to our land and water?
More than two decades ago EWG set out to answer these questions, and more, and to empower you to get to know your environment and protect your health.
EWG’s groundbreaking research has changed the debate over environmental health. From households to Capitol Hill, EWG’s team of scientists, policy experts, lawyers, communication experts and programmers has worked tirelessly to make sure someone is standing up for public health when government and industry won’t. Through our reports, online databases, mobile apps and communications campaigns, EWG is educating and empowering consumers to make safer and more informed decisions about the products they buy and the companies they support. In response to consumer pressure, companies are giving up potentially dangerous chemical ingredients in their products and improving their practices.
A nationwide network dedicated
to protecting our planet
For more than 30 years, EarthShare has worked across industries and issues to protect the health of our planet by engaging workplaces and people as active participants in that mission. With the power of a 500-member strong network of America’s most respected environmental and conservation organizations behind us, we provide impact and engagement opportunities that forge strong community connections, improve our environment, and ensure a sustainable future for all.
The Jane Goodall Institute promotes understanding and protection of great apes and their habitat and builds on the legacy of Dr. Jane Goodall, our founder, to inspire individual action by young people of all ages to help animals, other people and to protect the world we all share.
Although William Holden’s illustrious acting career spanned over 40 years, and included nearly 80 films plus a coveted Oscar for STALAG 17, the role in which he took the most pride was as a conservationist and co-founder of the Mount Kenya Game Ranch. His dedicated efforts to preserve the wildlife so precious to all of us soon expanded throughout the world, as he instilled in everyone he touched a reverence for nature’s creatures. In his memory, I founded the William Holden Wildlife Foundation, in cooperation with his former partners, to carry on his important efforts and to meet the ever-increasing demand for alternatives to extinction. The foundation’s education program currently serves over 11,000 students per year. Overhead expenses in the United States are underwritten through the generosity of a single donor, ensuring that virtually 100% of your tax-deductible donation goes directly to our work. We hope you will consider participating in our present and in our future. Stefanie Powers |
Solid Green Consulting is a young and energetic company enthusiastic about advancing sustainability in the built environment. With a wealth of experience at our disposal, we offer property developers and building professionals a sophisticated range of consulting services to assist in achieving their green building goals.