The Green Growth Best Practices (GGBP) initiative was set up to accelerate learning and to inform the design of green growth programmes, by undertaking an analysis of early experiences.
In July 2014, the GGBP released the first comprehensive international assessment of lessons from experiences of pursuing green growth across all levels of government and all regions. It engaged 75 authors in evaluating more than 60 programs around the world, providing tangible examples of ways in which governments and communities are benefiting from the adoption of green growth policies.
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Around the world a growing number of national and sub-national governments are seeking to chart a course towards sustainable development through strategies for green growth. To be successful these strategies must go beyond the ambition and challenges of yesterday's environmental policies, by aligning more closely to economic drivers and strategies.
The argument for green growth is that tomorrow's successful economies will be those that manage to integrate environmental costs and benefits into the heart of economic decision-making and avoid the risk of locking in unsustainable patterns of production and consumption which will become long-term liabilities.
Opportunities for industrial and energy shifts and improved environmental management that could deliver economic and social benefits have been identified in many countries. However governments face the critical challenge of finding ways to overcome well-documented, and often interlocking barriers, such as market failures, perverse incentives and subsidies, political, institutional and social system barriers.
Initial reviews by the OECD, UNEP, the World Bank, and UNESCAP of the various national green growth, green economy, low emission, low carbon and climate resilient development processes being undertaken, reveal that there is no single model but that many countries are carrying out common processes in developing their approach.The GGBP Assessment is focused on these three common processes and seeks to answer questions on eight topics which have been raised by planners, analysts and policy makers tasked with developing and implementing green growth plans.
Figure 1. Green Growth Planning Process and GGBP Priority Topics
Launched in October 2012 the GGBP is supported by three organisations - Climate and Development and Knowledge Network (CDKN), European Climate Foundation (ECF) and Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). Ecofys, the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, the JI Network, and the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory are providing technical support for the project.
Fifteen organisations and initiatives serve on the Steering Committee providing strategic guidance and fostering linkages with their own programmes and other related initiatives.
Interested in receiving advice and assistance with design of government led green growth programs? The GGBP initiative can engage authors from the 9 planning, analysis, and implementation topics covered in their recent report to share their findings and provide advice in applying successful approaches from other governments.