Global Environment Facility

Development Bank of Southern Africa,
Headway Hill,
1258 Lever Road,
Midrand,
South Africa

Email:  DBSAGEF@dbsa.org

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a partnership for international cooperation where 183 countries work together with international institutions, civil society organisations and the private sector to address global environmental issues. Since its inception, the GEF has provided more than $12.5 billion in grants and leveraged over $58 billion in co-financing for thousands of projects in developing countries. The World Bank serves as the trustee of the GEF.

The DBSA was accredited as a National Project Agency (NPA) for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in 2014.  As a NPA, the DBSA is committed to follow all GEF policies and establish the conditions in which the Bank can seek resources from the GEF Council for the preparation and implementation of projects in South Africa. Accreditation of the DBSA as a GEF agency has placed the DBSA at the global arena in terms of providing financial assistance to environment and climate change projects. This fits into the DBSA’s strategy and focus area of Energy/Environment. As a GEF agency, the Bank is at an opportune position to access and leverage funds from other global sources. 

The GEF provides grant and non-grant funding to projects. The GEF-funded projects should be co-financed by different stakeholders.

No minimum or maximum project size

No minimum or maximum level of financial support

Government organisations, the private sector, community-based organisations and non-governmental organisations have the opportunity to apply for GEF resources.

National; sub-national

Enabling environment; project definition; project feasibility; project structuring; transaction support; post-implementation support.

• It is undertaken in South Africa as a GEF funding eligible country.  The project also has to be consistent with national priorities and programmes., and must be endorsed by the country’s GEF Operational Focal Point (OFP) in the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA). 
• It addresses one or more of the following GEF Focal Areas (and cross-cutting issues and programmes), improving the global environment or advancing the prospect of reducing risks to it:
  Biodiversity
  Climate Change (Mitigation and Adaptation)
  Chemicals
  International Waters
  Land Degradation
  Sustainable Forest Management / REDD+
  Ozone Layer Depletion

• It is consistent with the GEF strategy
• It seeks GEF financing only for the agreed-on incremental costs of measures to achieve global environmental benefits
• It involves the public in project design and implementation.
• It is endorsed by the government of South Africa.
• It is co-funded.