AfDB and GEF Deepen Climate Financing for African Resilience

With Africa contributing less than four percent of global greenhouse gas emissions yet facing the world's most severe climate risks, the African Development Bank and the Global Environment Facility are recalibrating their strategy to bridge the continent’s persistent environmental financing gap.

Since becoming a GEF implementing agency in 2007, the African Development Bank has secured $521 million in GEF resources, leveraging that capital to attract roughly $4.8 billion in co-financing. This partnership focuses on climate adaptation, biodiversity, and land restoration, aiming to shift development pathways toward long-term sustainability. The 2025 AfDB-GEF Annual Report underscores this momentum, revealing that climate finance comprised 54 percent of the Bank’s total approvals, hitting $5.93 billion. Notably, the Bank exceeded its 2020–2025 climate finance target, reaching $25.5 billion against an original $25 billion goal.

Concrete results are visible on the ground. In Mauritania, $6.35 million in joint financing provided solar-powered water systems, while in The Gambia, climate-smart sanitation projects have boosted school attendance and public health. Furthermore, the Facility for Energy Inclusion, backed by $10 million in GEF funding, has extended electricity to 220,000 people and created 3,400 jobs. As the 8th GEF Assembly convenes in Samarkand, the focus shifts to the upcoming GEF-9 cycle for 2026–2030. This new phase intends to prioritize climate-resilient infrastructure and private sector engagement, targeting further support for nations including Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Liberia.