Increasing institutional funding for sustainable transport projects is an essential part of promoting sustainable transport in developing cities. The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) has been a significant source for funding for these projects. In fact, GEF has been a key financing tool for projects which mitigate GHG emissions throughout the developing world.

Unfortunately, based on current approvals, it is likely that in GEF-5 (2010 – 2014), transport spending will go down. Even more unfortunately, only 30% of the total allocation for sustainable transport under the fifth cycle has been allocated. ITDP and the Partnership for Sustainable Low-Carbon Development (SLoCaT) are encouraging the GEF to continue their focus on sustainable transport.

The absence of transport-specific goals in GEF-6 is a step backward from GEF-5, in which urban transport was a key objective under the climate change strategy, risks losing the momentum built in the transport sector during earlier GEF cycles. The GEF has a proven track record in supporting and scaling up sustainable transport investment in developing countries through a number of core activities, including: innovative pilots, outreach, capacity building, and policy work.

SLoCaT and ITDP hope to work with the GEF to advance effective implementation of sustainable transport initiatives in the future. The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) will publish a report in October focusing on lessons gleaned from past GEF transport interventions and through several case studies.

For more, visit SLoCaT and Transport 2020.
For more information on the GEF-6 replenishment process.