Green Recovery for Practitioners – Examples from around the World for Building Forward Better

This report presents a compilation of examples that can inspire the practical implementation of a green recovery, drawing upon measures and instruments that have been deployed in countries worldwide, particularly in developing and emerging economies.

Seeking inspiration from green recovery practices

Over a year ago, the Covid-19 pandemic started to severely impact people’s lives worldwide. As recovery funds were mobilised, calls grew to integrate climate and biodiversity concerns in Covid-19 response measures – giving rise to the concept of a green recovery, a topic widely discussed today. In early 2021, reports such as the Dasgupta Review on the economics of biodiversity or the UNFCCC NDC Synthesis Report underlined the urgent need for broadening the implementation of integrated approaches that drive sustainable, inclusive and resilient transformations.

Yet, recent analyses have shown that many governments continue to support high-carbon recovery strategies, and have not fully embedded climate, social and biodiversity factors into their response packages. A new study finds that while one third of the total US$14.9 trillion stimulus packages announced to date have supported environmentally relevant sectors such as agriculture, industry, waste, energy and transport, less than one in five dollars has supported green objectives. This finding is consistent with tracking of current efforts, which suggests that high-level pledges to support green recovery are often not accompanied by concrete measures and funding.