During the past decades, several initiatives have been made by the UN agencies as well as other international agencies and organizations to address recurring environmental topics such as green economy, climate change, and clean energy. This document is intended to present initiatives that specifically target green economy. These various initiatives have been grouped into sub-categories as follows:

  • International green economy platforms and forums;
  • Major international green economy partnerships;
  • Major international green economy programs; and
  • International green economy funds/facilities/mechanisms.

Main Source

The term ‘green economy initiative’ is used in the report broadly to describe the range of different international initiatives that are being implemented by a range of actors. The various initiatives have been grouped into sub- categories as follows:

  • International green economy platforms and forums;
  • Major international green economy partnerships;
  • Major international green economy programs; and
  • International green economy funds/facilities/mechanisms.

We have checked the 59 listed iniatives and we are presnting 18 iniatives which we found updated and accessible. We added more recent iniatives at the end of the presentation.

1. Green Economy Platforms and Forums

Global Green Growth Forum (3GF)

Global Green Growth Forum (3GF) is an annual forum established in 2011 that brings together public-private sector leaders to accelerate green growth through a bottom-up approach. The objectives are:

  • To increase horizontal coordination, learning and inspiration among the initiatives.
  • To provide political and economic momentum to promising initiatives in order to give them the required scale in speed.
  • To strengthen the links to the processes of international policymaking and regulation setting.

The forum was established by the governments of Denmark, Republic of Korea and Mexico. Other institutions involved include the OECD, IEA, Global Compact, International Finance Corporation, and the Climate Policy Initiative and a number of governments and business partners. An analytical framework is developed as a tool to identify and focus on public-private partnerships with a scalable, transformative growth potential. The framework is not intended for the development of concrete public-private partnerships; rather 3GF welcomes, and is potentially interested in taking forward, the development of new partnerships.

Services Provided:

Information exchange; networking

Timeframe:

2011 – Ongoing

Weblink:

https://www.globalgreengrowthforum.com/

Green Growth Forum (3GF)

Global Green Growth Forum (3GF) is an annual forum established in 2011 that brings together public-private sector leaders to accelerate green growth through a bottom-up approach. The objectives are:

  • To increase horizontal coordination, learning and inspiration among the initiatives.
  • To provide political and economic momentum to promising initiatives in order to give them the required scale in speed.
  • To strengthen the links to the processes of international policymaking and regulation setting.

The forum was established by the governments of Denmark, Republic of Korea and Mexico. Other institutions involved include the OECD, IEA, Global Compact, International Finance Corporation, and the Climate Policy Initiative and a number of governments and business partners. An analytical framework is developed as a tool to identify and focus on public-private partnerships with a scalable, transformative growth potential. The framework is not intended for the development of concrete public-private partnerships; rather 3GF welcomes, and is potentially interested in taking forward, the development of new partnerships.

Services Provided:

Information exchange; networking

Timeframe:

2011 – Ongoing

Weblink:

https://www.globalgreengrowthforum.com/

Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP/Green platform)

  • The Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP) started with a mission to enhance and expand efforts to identify and address major knowledge gaps in green growth theory and practice, and to help countries design and implement policies to move towards a green economy. Today, GGKP has expanded into a partnership between 3 platforms for policy, business, and industry.
  • GGKP provides practitioners and policymakers with better tools to foster economic growth and implement sustainable development.

Services Provided:

Discussions, Groups, Opportunities (jobs, call for papers and proposals), Blogs, Events, and Personal feed.

Timeframe:

2012 – ongoing

Weblink:

https://www.thegreenforum.org/

Green Growth on-line e-Learning Facility (UNESCAP)

  • The Green Growth on-line e-Learning Facility is designed to educate participants about the most innovative, cost-effective approaches to green growth.

    It is structured around a series of interactive training modules, the online training curriculum encourages participants to actively reflect on the ways a green growth strategy can be adapted to their home country.

    The site includes the capacity development for green growth program.

Services Provided:

Information (exchange; knowledge management); research.

Timeframe:

2012 – ongoing

Weblink:

http://www.greengrowth-elearning.org/lms/

Green Industry Platform (UN Industriel Development Organisation -UNIDO, UNEP)

The Green Industry Platform is a global high-level multistakeholder partnership intended to act as a forum and advocacy tool for catalyzing, mobilizing and mainstreaming action on green industry around the world.

It aims to achieve this by providing a framework where signatory organizations can make tools available for developing road maps to integrate green industry policies and practices in organizational strategies and business plans, share and profile best practices to move beyond ‘business as usual’, and drive forward technological development, application and innovation.

Services Provided:

Information services (exchange/awareness raising/knowledge management)

Timeframe:

Initial phase 2012 – 2015

Weblink:

http://www.unido.org/index.php?id=1002609

UN Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform (UNDESA)

The Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform is coordinated by the UN Division for Sustainable Development (UNDSD) within the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). The site aims to provide a central hub for resources and information on sustainable development and assists with coordinating the intergovernmental process and follow up from major conferences on sustainable development. The site includes a section on green economy, which includes a resource library of green economy publications and a database of green economy policy measures. The Platform also publishes a series of green economy guidebook series publications which monitor progress and provide analysis of green economy research and implementation and a guide to publications and other resources.

Services Provided:

Information (exchange; knowledge management); research.

Timeframe:

2012 – ongoing

Weblink:

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.%20php?menu=1224

WIPO Green – The Sustainable Technology Marketplace (WIPO)

WIPO Green is a pilot initiative of the World Intellectual Property Organization which facilitates the accelerated adaptation, adoption and deployment of environmental technologies, particularly in developing countries and emerging economies. WIPO Green:

  • serves as a hub connecting various critical partners, with WIPO facilitating policy dialogue and networking;
  • enables owners of proprietary technologies to make selected technologies and solutions available as packages, including know-how, services and materials;
  • facilitates the matching of specific, user-formulated needs with technology providers;
  • provides additional services, including training, consulting, dispute resolution and financial support.

Services Provided:

Technology transfer; capacity building (training; advisory services)

Timeframe:

2013 – ongoing

Weblink:

https://wipogreen.wipo.int/wipogreen-database/database

2. Green Economy Partnerships

Green Economy Coalition (GEC)

Green Economy Coalition is a global network of organizations from NGOs, research institutes, the UN, business and trade unions who are committed to accelerating a transition to a new green inclusive economy. Their aim is to:

  • mobilize and build a global coalition of organizations from different sectors for a green and inclusive economy.
  • provide a platform for debate on green economy issues ensuring that multi-sector perspectives and voices from the South are integrated into discussions.
  • organize and share knowledge on the green economy.
  • identify priority issues and strategic opportunities to influence the transition to a green economy.
  • help build consensus on priority issues, and to jointly communicate policy messages to key audiences and in strategic forums.

Services Provided:

Information (exchange/awareness raising/knowledge management); research

Timeframe:

2009 – ongoing

Weblink:

https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/

Partners:

NGOs, research institutes, UN organizations, private businesses and trade unions.

Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)

Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a new international organization dedicated to pioneering and diffusing green growth. The work of the GGGI is spread across 3 programs:

  • Country Green Growth Planning: GGGI’s country work consists of green growth plan (GGP) analysis and design, domestic capacity building, and public-private partnership to support plan implementation. GGGI operates a tailored but consistent program for each country.
  • Public-Private Cooperation: GGGI works to accelerate the world economy’s transition to green growth by facilitating industry-government cooperation to scale resource-efficient investment, innovation and management best practice within the private sector. GGGI fosters public-private cooperation at two levels: (1) Links companies to developing country governments to help implement green growth plans; and, (2) Builds cooperation within and between industries, and links to relevant intergovernmental processes.
  • Research: GGGI’s program promotes the development of a new green growth paradigm by conducting research into various aspects of green growth theory and practice.

Services Provided:

Capacity building (Advisory services, Technical assistance); Research; Information exchange

Timeframe:

2012 – ongoing

Weblink:

https://www.gggi.org/

Partners:

A range of national governments, research institutes, intergovernmental organizations and private sector actors. Government partners are: Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ethiopia, Guyana, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kirabati, Mongolia, Norway, PNG, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, RoK, Thailand, UAE, Vietnam.

Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP)

The Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP) first started as a platform. Today, GGKP is a global community of policy, business, and finance professionals and organizations. GGKP is formed of three knowledge platforms – the Green Policy Platform, Green Industry Platform, and Green Finance Platform.

GGKP is committed to sharing knowledge and learning that is relevant for decision-making, evidence-based, reliable, diverse, adaptable, and open.

Services Provided:

Research; Capacity Building (data & tools; best practices); Information Exchange.

Timeframe:

2012 – ongoing

Weblink:

https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/about-us

Partners:

the Green Policy Platform, Green Industry Platform, and Green Finance Platform

3. Green Economy Programs

Green Economy Joint Program (GEJP)

The Green Economy Joint Program (GWJP) was a result of the joint effort of 3 UN agencies: UNDP-UNEP-UNDESA. It has been generously funded by the Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS) of Netherlands. It sought to:

  • Support countries through advisory services on green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication
  • Promote integration of green economy in the context of sustainable development as a key element of One UN Country Team programming.
  • Develop research products
  • Harmonize green economy policy messages
  • Provide and coordinate regional and country level advisory services
  • Identify financial and human resources to undertake green economy activities

Services Provided:

Capacity Building (Advisory Services; Technical Assistance); Research.

Timeframe:

2011 – 2016

Weblink:

https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/green-economy/what-we-do/advisory-services/green-economy-joint-programme-gejp

Partners:

Multiple partners from UN organizations, government of Netherlands

Green Economy Initiative (UNEP)

The UNEP-led Green Economy Initiative, launched in late 2008, consists of several components whose collective overall objective is to provide the analysis and policy support for investing in green sectors and in greening environmental unfriendly sectors. The Green Economy Initiative works with a range of partners to:

  • Develop research products;
  • Harmonize green economy policy messages;
  • Provide and coordinate regional and country level advisory services; and
  • Identify financial and human resources to undertake green economy activities.

Services Provided:

Capacity Building (Advisory Services; Technical Assistance); Research.

Timeframe:

2008 – ongoing

Weblink:

https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/green-economy

Partners:

Multiple partners from UN organizations, academic institutes, think tanks, business and environmental groups.

Green Industry Initiative (UNIDO)

UNIDO’s Green industry Initiative is a sector-based strategy to achieve a green economy focusing on production and consumption. Its main objective is to identify gaps in normative policy frameworks in terms of incentives, environmental laws and regulations and other policies which promote the greening of industry. The strategy also aims to:

  • Remove gaps in the support system by promoting the establishment of specialized enterprises in the environmental goods and services sector, and by supporting entrepreneurs in assuming the risks of launching businesses in that sector;
  • Remove gaps in the industrial sector’s knowledge and skills set by partnering with institutions of higher learning and assisting governments to develop green technical and managerial knowledge and skills in enterprises; and
  • Develop public-private partnerships in the environment field.

Services Provided:

Research; Capacity building; Awareness raising/knowledge management

Timeframe:

2010 – ongoing

Weblink:

https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/green-economy

Partners:

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and various partners from UN system actors, Member states, private sector, NGOs and academia.

Green Low-Emission Capacity Building Program (UNDP)

The UNDP-EU Green Low-Emission Capacity Building Program (GLECBP) is supporting the efforts of over 30 countries in developing low emissions development strategies (LEDS). The Program’s overall objective is to strengthen technical and institutional capacities in the following ways:

  • Develop greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory management systems.
  • Identify opportunities for nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMA).
  • Design low emission development strategies (LEDS) in the context of national priorities.
  • Design systems for measuring, reporting, and verification of proposed actions and means to reduce GHG emissions.
  • Facilitate the design and adoption of mitigation actions by selected industries in some countries.

Services Provided:

Research; Capacity building; Awareness raising/knowledge management

Timeframe:

2011 – 2015

Weblink:

https://www.adaptation-undp.org/low-emission-capacity-building-lecb-programme

Partners:

UNDP with donors: European Commission, the Government of Germany, and the Government of Australia

OECD Green Growth Program

In 2009 the OECD launched an important horizontal project to define a framework aiming to help countries achieve concrete, measurable progress at the interface between the economy and the environment. In 2011, Ministers of Economy and Finance agreed to a Green Growth Strategy at the OECD. Implementing the Strategy consists of the following elements:

  • Mainstreaming green growth into OECD country studies of advanced and emerging countries (e.g. Economic Surveys, Environmental Policy Reviews, Investment Policy Reviews and Innovation Reviews).
  • Undertaking sectoral studies from a green growth perspective (energy, transport, innovation, financing, agriculture).
  • Mainstreaming green growth into development co-operation practices (e.g. through the work of the OECD DAC ENVIRONET.
  • Green Growth Indicators: the OECD has developed a conceptual framework and indicators that help governments monitor progress towards green growth.

Services Provided:

Capacity building (technical assistance; advisory services; tools/best practice); research

Timeframe:

2011 – 2015

Weblink:

http://www.oecd.org/greengrowth/ 

http://www.oecd.org/greengrowth/asia.htm

http://www.oecd.org/greengrowth/greening-cities-regions/ 

http://www.oecd.org/greengrowth/green-development/  

http://www.oecd.org/greengrowth/greengrowthindicators.htm

Partners:

OECD member and partner countries  

4. Green Economy Funds, Facilities and Mechanisms

Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund (EU)

  • The Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund (GEEREF) is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) designed to maximize the private finance leveraged through public funds funded by the European Commission and managed by the European Investment Bank.
  • GEEREF invests in private equity sub-funds that specialize in financing small and medium-sized project developers and enterprises (SMEs) to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in developing countries and economies in transition.

Services Provided:

Finance

Timeframe:

2008 – ongoing

Weblink:

https://geeref.com/

Partners:

EU

Global Environment Facility (GEF)

  • The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established in October 1991 as a $1 billion pilot program in the World Bank,  and was later restructured to become a permanent separate institution, with the World Bank serving as the Trustee of the GEF Trust Fund. The United Nations Development Program, the United Nations Environment Program, and the World Bank were the three initial partners implementing GEF projects.

    The GEF incorporates a number of funds relevant to the green economy including the Least Developed Countries Fund, the Special Climate Change Fund and the now complete Strategic Priority for Adaptation

Services Provided:

Finance

Timeframe:

2011 – 2015

Weblink:

http://www.thegef.org/gef/home

Partners:

The GEF agencies are: UNDP, UNEP, World Bank, ADB, AfDB, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IFAD, UNIDO.

Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF)

  • The Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) was established to support a work program to assist Least Developed Country Parties (LDCs) carry out and implement national adaptation programs of action (NAPAs).
  • NAPAs use existing information to identify a country’s priorities for adaptation actions. The LDCF is the only existing fund whose mandate is to finance the preparation and implementation of the NAPAs.
  • the LDCF focuses on reducing the vulnerability of those sectors and resources that are central to development and livelihoods, such as water; agriculture and food security
  • GEF is the managing body of the fund. Funds are available to 49 LDCs identified by the United Nations.

Services Provided:

Finance

Timeframe:

2011 – 2015

Weblink:

http://www.thegef.org/gef/LDCF

Partners:

GEF agencies.

Donors: Germany, UK, USA, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Norway, Netherlands, France, Finland, Ireland, Switzerland, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Japan, Romania, Iceland, Portugal, Czech Republic. 

Program for Scaling-Up Renewable Energy in Low Income Countries (SREP)

  • SREP aims at demonstrating the economic, social and environmental viability of low carbon development pathways in the energy sector by creating new economic opportunities and increasing energy access through the use of renewable energy.
  • SREP financing supports technologies such as solar, wind, bio-energy, geothermal, and small hydro technologies. As of June 2012, a total of US$392 million had been pledged.

Services Provided:

Finance

Timeframe:

2008 – ongoing

Weblink:

https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/armenia/brief/srep

Partners:

World Bank and regional development banks. Donors include Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, Japan, Norway, Denmark, UK and US. 

5. Other Identified Initiatives Targeting Green Economy

Batumi Initiative on Green Economy (BIG-E)

  • The Batumi Initiative on Green Economy (BIG-E) is a partnership by interested countries and organizations committed to undertake green economy actions.
  • BIG-E serves to operationalize the Pan-European Strategic Framework for Greening the Economy.
  • Taken together, the Strategic Framework and BIG-E provide countries and stakeholders from the pan-European region with a road map to speed up the transition to a green economy.

Services Provided:

Research; Capacity Building (data & tools; best practices); Information Exchange.

Timeframe:

2016 – 2030

Weblink:

https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/initiatives/partners-inclusive-green-economy

Partners:

(UNEP – UNECE – GGKP)

Green Learning Network Platform (GLN)

  • The Green Learning Network (GLN), is a platform that was launched by the GGKP and UNITAR with support from the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE).
  • GLN works to improve existing education and training opportunities and facilitate the creation of new courses, programs and learning resources to build a critical mass of professionals that understand the risks and opportunities of a green transition.

Services Provided:

Research; Capacity Building (data & tools; best practices); Information Exchange.

Timeframe:

2019 – ongoing

Weblink:

https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/initiatives/green-learning-network

Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs)

  • The Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) initiative aims to accelerate regional solutions for inclusive green economies and sustainable consumption and production by sharing best practices and offering science-based knowledge, policy tools and capacity development opportunities in priority areas to “build back better.”
  • The core goal of the GO4SDGs initiative is to implement action and change by supporting: governments to strengthen policy coherence; small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to increase capacities and access for financing innovation and circularity; and youth to amplify their voices and empower them to embrace sustainable lifestyles.

Services Provided:

Capacity building (technical assistance; advisory services; tools/best practice); research

Timeframe:

2019 – ongoing

Weblink:

https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/initiatives/partners-inclusive-green-economy

Partners:

(GGKP – ILO – ITUC-CSI-IGB – SEED – UNDP – One-Planet – UN-PAGE – UNDP – UNEP– World Economic Forum)

Partners for Inclusive Green Economy

Partners for Inclusive Green Economy is an initiative involving the membership of 12 partners. This partnership shares a vision of a green economy that provides prosperity for all within the ecological limits of the planet. It is based around five principles for the green economy (GE):

  • Well-being: GE must create genuine sustained and shared well-being
  • Justice: GE should emphasize equity, equality, community cohesion, social justice and human rights
  • Planetary boundaries: GE should defend nature’s functions and limits
  • Efficiency and sufficiency: GE should be low-carbon diverse and circular
  • Good governance: GE should build institutions that combine democratic accountability, relevant metrics, sound science and local knowledge

Services Provided:

Research; Capacity Building (data & tools; best practices); Information Exchange.

Timeframe:

2019 – ongoing

Weblink:

https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/initiatives/partners-inclusive-green-economy

Partners:

(GIZ – GGGI – GEC – GGKP – ILO – OECD – UN-PAGE  – UN Poverty Action – UNDP – UN Environment Programme – UNIDO – UNRISD)

Sustainable Infrastructure Partnership (SIP)

Sustainable Infrastructure Partnership (SIP) is a platform to promote and support integrated approaches to sustainable infrastructure planning and development. Such approaches recognize the centrality of infrastructure to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and can help to deliver optimal social, environmental and economic outcomes of infrastructure development. SIP collaborates with over 50 partner organizations has three core goals:

  1. Raise awareness about the centrality of infrastructure
  2. Develop and share new and existing technical guidance and tools for integrating sustainability into infrastructure planning, investment, and delivery.
  3. Strengthen the technical and institutional capacity of developing countries to adopt and apply integrated approaches to infrastructure development, as a means of achieving the SDGs

Services Provided:

Research; Capacity Building (data & tools; best practices); Information Exchange.

Timeframe:

2018 – ongoing

Weblink:

https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/initiatives/sustainable-infrastructure-partnership