Global environmental challenges increasingly demand solutions that go beyond short-term improvements to deliver systemic reforms with measurable, long-term results.

To examine how GEF has supported such transformative change, the Independent Evaluation Office reviewed experience from 2013 to 2017 through a purposive sample of eight projects across renewable energy, biodiversity, land management, and protected areas, using meta-evaluation and cross-case analysis.

The evaluation finds that five interventions achieved sustained system-level shifts by combining ambitious objectives with replication mechanisms, strong implementation, and supportive policy environments. Three others triggered significant progress but had not secured financial sustainability at completion, highlighting the challenge of maintaining results in biodiversity and protected area projects without continued funding. Renewable energy interventions proved most successful where they removed regulatory barriers, mobilized private investment, and benefited from technological cost reductions, while livelihood-focused projects achieved durability when integrated into government budgets.

The report recommends applying a framework for advance assessment of transformational potential, embedding replication and sustainability mechanisms, leveraging markets or government financing to secure long-term support, and strengthening implementation quality across agencies.