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4/20/2022

United States Pledges $600 Million to Combat Global Environmental Threats | U.S. Department of the Treasury

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
United States Pledges $600 Million to Combat Global
Environmental Threats
April 19, 2022

WASHINGTON - The following is being released jointly by the U.S. Department of the Treasury
and the U.S. Department of State.
On April 8, the United States pledged $600.8 million over the next four years to support the
eighth replenishment of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-8). This is the United Statesʼ
largest GEF pledge ever. This pledge aligns with continuing U.S. priorities and supports the
Biden-Harris Administrationʼs commitment to addressing climate change, conserving global
carbon sinks and other critical ecosystems, and restoring the health of our ocean. The United
States joined 28 other donors in collectively pledging more than $5 billion to support GEF-8, a
nearly 30 percent increase over GEF-7.
The U.S. pledge will help protect tropical rainforests and other critical carbon sinks; address
ocean plastics pollution; combat wildlife tra icking and illegal, unreported, and unregulated
fishing; and reduce hazardous transboundary pollutants such as PCBs and mercury that can
a ect Americansʼ health. In its Fiscal Year 2023 Budget, the Administration has requested
$150.2 million for the GEF, as the first of four planned installments for the U.S. contribution to
GEF-8.
The GEF is one of the worldʼs largest dedicated funders of projects and programs to improve
the global environment. The United States supported the establishment of the GEF in 1991
and has contributed to all seven replenishments. Since its launch in 1991, the GEF has
provided nearly $22 billion in grants and mobilized another $119 billion in co-financing to
safeguard the global environment. The GEF is the worldʼs primary multilateral source of
biodiversity finance and is the only multilateral environmental fund whose mandate is to
achieve global environmental benefits across a diverse set of focal areas that also includes
chemicals and waste, climate change mitigation, land degradation (including desertification
and deforestation), and international waters. The GEF Partnership spans 184 member
governments, 18 implementing agencies, more than 500 civil society organizations,
international bodies and funds, and businesses from every major sector.
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0725

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4/20/2022

United States Pledges $600 Million to Combat Global Environmental Threats | U.S. Department of the Treasury

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0725

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