Da Nang (VNA) – Canada has committed aid worth over 228 million USDfor fiscal years 2018–2019 through 2022–2023 to the seventh replenishment ofthe Global Environment Facility (GEF) to advance climate action in developingcountries.

The pledgewas made by Canadian Minister of International Development Marie-Claude Bibeauat the sixth GEF Assembly which is being held in Vietnam’s Da Nang city on June27-28.

Developingcountries constantly face impacts of climate change, with women and childrenfacing disproportionate challenges. Collaboration and partnerships betweengovernments, global institutions, non-governmental and local organisations, aswell as the private sector are key to moving forward on climate action.

Therefore,Canada is committed to these efforts to empower the most at-risk communities tobetter adapt and mitigate the harmful impacts of a changing climate.

Through theGEF, the country has worked with partners to tackle global environmental issuesand to support sustainable development, including poverty reduction and genderequality.

The GEF isthe single-largest source of funding and a catalyst for action on theenvironment. It funds programmes that have brought sustainable land management,benefiting smallholder farmers, provided biodiversity protection and planningfor productive terrains and water bodies, and have protected river and lakebasins, groundwater basins and large marine ecosystems.

Since theGEF was established in 1992, the initiatives it funded have reduced greenhousegas emissions by 2,700 megatons, introduced more than 50 climate-friendlytechnologies, leading to energy efficiency, renewable energy generation andsustainable urban transport, brought 103 million hectares of land undersustainable land management; and protected more than 50 water basins and 23 ofthe planet’s 64 large marine ecosystems. -VNA