A delegation from the African Development Bank Group will attend the 7th Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly in Vancouver, Canada, from the 22nd to the 26th of August.
The 2023 Assembly, jointly hosted by the GEF and the government of Canada, will assess progress toward 2030 goals to end pollution and nature loss, combat climate change, and propel inclusive, locally led conservation.
It will bring together government officials, business leaders, environmentalists, heads of international agencies and environmental conventions, youth groups, and civil society representatives to discuss solutions to ensure a healthy planet with healthy people.
The African Development Bank delegation, led by Joao Cunha, Manager for Renewable Energy Funds, and Audrey-Cynthia Yamadjako, Principal Climate and Environment Finance Officer, will participate in several roundtables, including a side event jointly organized by multilateral development banks titled Blended finance, catalyzing investment in nature and climate.
This side event will feature the unveiling of the Facility Energy Inclusion PPF (Project Preparation Facility) and other projects. The Bank delegation will also participate in a high level panel on climate change adaptation that will feature a presentation on the African Development Bank’s Africa Disaster Risks Financing (ADRiFi) initiative.
Representatives of the Bank Group will also attend a GEF Partnership Forum and. will join other multilateral development banks to host a booth on biodiversity.
The 7th GEF Assembly will also feature the launch of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, a new funding source for protecting endangered species and their ecosystems globally. The GEF was selected at the COP15 Convention on Biological Diversity summit in December 2022 to manage the new fund.
The African Development Bank joined the GEF in 2007 as an implementing agency, with direct access to Facility’s resources. Over the years, the Bank has increased its pipeline of projects related to climate change, biodiversity, land conservation and international waters whilst gradually enhancing its interventions on chemicals and waste-related issues in Africa.
