The Global Environment Facility was established in October 1991 as a $1 billion pilot program in the World Bank to assist in the protection of the global environment and to promote environmental sustainable development. The GEF would provide new and additional grants and concessional funding to cover the "incremental" or additional costs associated with transforming a project with national benefits into one with global environmental benefits.

The GEF work focuses on the following main areas:

• Biodiversity
• Climate Change (Mitigation and Adaptation)
• Chemicals
• International Waters
• Land Degradation
• Sustainable Forest Management / REDD +
• Ozone Layer Depletion

The GEF also works on several cross-cutting issue and programs:

• Results & Learning
• Earth Fund and Public Private Partnerships
• Capacity Development
• Small Grants Programme
• Country Support Programme