Today, an unprecedented group of 15 leading environmental and development cooperation organisations launched the Green Growth Best Practice Initiative (GGBP). Designed to help governments strengthen the quality of green growth planning and implementation through analysis and peer-to-peer learning, the initiative is set to drive progressive green policy-making around the globe.
As human-induced climate change, environmental degradation and resource scarcity threatens the sustainable future of our economies and habitats, green- and low carbon growth plans are being developed in numerous industrialised and developing countries. Such green growth plans and programs allow governments, businesses, and communities to achieve long-term social and economic goals through a transformation to resource efficient and sustainable systems.
To date, however, there is not enough knowledge-sharing between countries. It remains a challenge to increase communication and peer-to-peer learning This situation will be transformed by the GGBP, which will provide valuable insights on best practice at all levels of the policy-making process, aiming to significantly improve the quality and success rate of green growth planning and implementation.
The Green Growth Best Practice Initiative
The initiative is supported by various funders: the International Climate Initiative (ICI) funded by the German Government, the Climate Development and Knowledge Network funded by the governments of the UK and the Netherlands, the European Climate Foundation (ECF) and Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). These partners, together with the steering group of high-level organisations bring a unique set of expertise to the challenge.
Bert Metz, Chair of the GGBP steering committee and Fellow of the European Climate Foundation, one of the funders of the initiative said:
“The European Climate Foundation wants to help governments implement effective green growth measures in their economies. Unless we grow our economies in sustainable ways, we risk a crisis in the future that is more serious and enduring than the recession we are currently experiencing”.
Over the next 18 months assessments of green growth best practices will look at short and long-term solutions, answering questions like how should green growth strategies be incorporated into government planning, how should emission inventories be managed and how should the effectiveness of policies be assessed. In these efforts, the GGBP will engage leading experts from developed and developing countries as well as create opportunities for learning and interaction of the broad community of practitioners, policy-makers, academics and private sector experts.
Celebrating the launch, Youba Sokona, the Director of the African Climate Policy Center located in Ethiopia said:
“Achieving social development and economic growth without locking in damaging greenhouse gas emissions is a challenge facing all economies in the world today. The opportunity to build on the experience of those who have already achieved successes in low carbon and climate resilient development will be enormously helpful.”
Richard Samans, Executive Director of the Global Green Growth Institute, one of the GGBP’s funders and host of the GGBP secretariat, said:
“Green growth economic planning is a new, exciting and expanding area. This means that a comprehensive analysis of the lessons learned around the world is essential. The GGGI is pleased to be part of this extraordinary partnership and we look forward to its results.”
E3G’s Amal-Lee Amin, Programme Leader for International Climate Finance, added :
“There is an urgent need to develop understanding of the opportunities as well as the practical challenges of achieving green growth. The Green Growth Best Practise Initiative has an important role to play and will focus on engaging economic decision-makers in a way that underpins actions for transitioning to low carbon and resilient economies. E3G is delighted to be part of this important global initiative.”
The initiative is expected to run until at least early 2014.
Notes for Editors:
The funders of the GGBP: The European Climate Foundation, The Climate Development & Knowledge Network, The Global Green Growth Institute and the International Climate Initiative (ICI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) [1].
Complete List of Organisations serving on the Steering Committee: Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Climate & Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), International Climate Initiative (ICI) of the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature, Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, European Climate Foundation (ECF), Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank (WB), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA through the African Climate Policy Centre), MAPS project (through SouthSouthNorth), E3G (Third Generation Environmentalism), United Nations Economic and Social Commission Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), and the Low Emission Development Strategies Global Partnership (LEDS GP).
GGBP is an affiliated program with the Green Growth Knowledge Platform, a joint effort of GGGI, the OECD, UNEP, and the World Bank.
Confirmed members of the project team: Ecofys, Energy Research Center of the Netherlands, European Climate Foundation, Global Green Growth Institute, Joint Implementation Network, and the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
[1] – This project is part of the International Climate Initiative (ICI). The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.
