Below is the first edition of the Global Green Growth Institute's (GGGI) "Message from the Directer-General" from the new Directer-General, Dr. Frank Rijsberman. GGGI is a founding partner of the GGKP and hosted the recent Fourth GGKP Annual Conference.
How can GGGI help achieve transformative green growth, rapidly and at scale?
Dear GGGI Members and Stakeholders,
It is an honor for me to lead Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), as the Director-General. As I take up my position, I would like to take this opportunity to share my initial thoughts with you all, the Members and stakeholders of the Institute.
While we have seen great success in recent years, GGGI has the ability to do more. I will learn, listen and understand GGGI, and appreciate the priorities and goals that the Institute’s Members and stakeholders value most before moving forward and taking action.
To initiate this process, I would like to present some questions and suggestions that I hope will facilitate dialogue between us and subsequently help to deepen GGGI’s focus, agenda and work program.
Evidence that Green Growth works
My first question relates to GGGI’s theory of change. The multiple definitions of green growth agree that economic growth is not incompatible with environmental sustainability. But what does that mean precisely, and what is it that GGGI is promoting to its stakeholders? I presume GGGI stakeholders believe that, at least, significant environmental improvements are feasible without significantly reducing economic growth under business as usual. We may even go a step further and believe that green growth can increase economic growth, create green jobs, reduce poverty, and enhance social inclusion, while at the same time significantly reducing environmental impact. Whatever the precise position is we support, strong and convincing evidence of green growth’s benefits are needed to persuade the skeptics and to catalyze action at scale.
To do so we need compelling green growth stories based on evidence, from others or our own work, that transformative green growth is feasible and affordable in the short and medium, as well as in the long term. We need to invest more, and partner with others, to get the robust evidence that green work better than the conventional model of growth as soon as we can.
Documenting and communicating GGGI’s contribution to Green Growth by moving towards outcomes
As an Institute dedicated to green growth, we must do more than just “the right thing”, or move in the right direction. There is an urgent need for us to further demonstrate that we deliver value for money for our investors: impact delivered per dollar invested, compared with other investment opportunities for the same development dollar. This starts with defining and measuring outcomes and impacts for GGGI as a whole, as well as for its programs and projects and documenting and communicating convincingly that we can help bring about transformative green growth at speed and at scale, that is touching millions of people in the near to medium term.
While it is very positive that much of GGGI’s work is translated into specific measurable outputs, I would like to move a step closer to development outcomes. We need to define outcomes in terms of its key components, such as growth, jobs, environment, health, and link these directly to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Defining GGGI’s specific development outcomes at the corporate level may be part of the upcoming mid-term review of GGGI’s strategy engaging all stakeholders. Once agreed, I believe these outcomes should further strengthen much of GGGI’s work.
Continuing professionalization of GGGI
GGGI needs world class expertise, and be a highly professional organization that delivers excellent products and services. We need to invest in our ability to generate a pipeline of quality project proposals to mobilize more resources at modest overhead rates. Rewarding success, as well as managing unsatisfactory performance is important not only for individuals, but for projects and programs as well. My experience at Google has convinced me, amongst others, that creativity and innovation thrives in a climate where staff are encouraged to experiment and start new things. This has to be balanced, however, with a review process that is able to re-direct resources and approaches – or shut down what does not work, or does not work well enough.
Deepening our focus
GGGI has to be world-class in what it does, and therefore must be clear in what it wants to be good at. This implies focus, and in turn requires choices as to areas where GGGI wants to become world class, and where GGGI will leave other fields to our partners. While it is always tempting to grow geographically, organizationally, and in service offerings, the hardest thing for many organizations is to decide what not to do. This is a conversation I aim to initiate with all Members and stakeholders as soon as possible.
In summary, I will be listening and looking to GGGI members, staff and stakeholders to learn more about the organization, its people and its work. Your own questions and feedback will provide me with important insights and also determine my priorities. I will get back to you with an update on what I have learned and what I propose to do as a result before the end of 2016.
For now, let me assure you that I am very much look forward to get to know you all better and to work with you all towards the success of GGGI – that is, towards achieving transformational green growth at speed and scale!
Dr. Frank Rijsberman
Director-General
Global Green Growth Institute