The Global Environment Facility (GEF) plays a pivotal role in advancing global environmental action through its unique governance structure, which includes an Assembly, Council, Secretariat, 18 implementing agencies, a Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel, and an Evaluation Office. As the financial mechanism for several international environmental conventions, the GEF provides strategic funding to help countries meet their commitments under these agreements, with cities emerging as a key focus in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. 

Recognizing the central role of cities in achieving global environmental goals, the GEF launched its Sustainable Cities Integrated Approach Pilot (SCIP) in 2016, under the GEF-6 funding cycle. This initiative supported 28 cities across 11 countries in designing and implementing integrated urban sustainability solutions. To promote collaboration and knowledge exchange, the Global Platform for Sustainable Cities (GPSC) was created as a key component of this pilot. Building on the momentum and insights from the SCIP, the GEF-7 cycle introduced the Sustainable Cities Impact Program, branded as UrbanShift. This program expanded support to 23 cities in 9 countries, with a stronger emphasis on integrated urban planning, low-carbon infrastructure, sustainable waste management, and nature-based solutions. 

Now in its GEF-8 cycle, the Sustainable Cities program has grown significantly, supporting over 50 cities in 20 countries. In total, the program reaches more than 100 cities across 40 countries, supported by $432 million in GEF grants and nearly $5 billion in leveraged co-financing. 

At its core, the GEF’s Sustainable Cities program adopts a systems-based approach to tackle the structural challenges that hinder sustainable urban development. These include institutional fragmentation, political and financial barriers, siloed land use planning, and limited stakeholder engagement. By strengthening urban governance, enabling innovative investments, fostering inclusive decision-making, and catalyzing new financing and business models, the program seeks to shift cities away from a "business-as-usual" development path and toward long-term urban transformation. Through strong global partnerships and local engagement, the GEF supports cities as engines of environmental progress and sustainable growth.