| WITH 7
billion people in the world today and 9 billion by 2050, we must invest in
development that will meet the growing demands for food, water and energy.
The new OECD publication Putting Green Growth at the Heart of Development suggests
that these investments could define a path for inclusive growth and sustainable
development by focusing on people’s needs and prospects while respecting the
environment. It also gives examples of developing countries’ successful initiatives
to do so.
Highlighting the nature of the challenges and opportunities in this field,
OECD Secretary General Gurría said: “Putting green growth at the heart of the
development agenda requires real political leadership to instill change at
international, national and local levels. Our report shows that green growth
can offer new opportunities for developing countries. We are looking forward
to working with governments and the development co-operation community to reap
the benefits of a greener growth path for the well-being of the people in our
partner countries.”
To scale up and broaden efforts to green their growth, the report recommends
that developing countries mobilise the key coordinating ministries – in particular
finance, development planning, and labour – to set clear plans, goals and allocate
resources. This has worked well in Cambodia, which adopted a National Green
Growth Roadmap that emphasises access to water, agriculture, renewable energy,
mobility, finance and investment. In the case of Ethiopia, the goal of its
Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy is to increase GDP by 475% by 2030
and to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Other countries are targeting specific elements of green growth. By removing
costly and polluting fossil fuel subsidies, and giving cash transfers to low-income
households to off-set the higher price of diesel fuel, the Indonesian government,
for example, can invest more in health and education, encourage energy efficiency
and improve air quality without creating an extra burden for poor people. China’s
plan to create green jobs in the forestry sector could employ a million people.
In Madagascar, controls on overfishing have lead to larger shrimp, improved
market access and higher export prices. The export value of Uganda’s organically
certified pineapple, ginger and vanilla almost trebled over 10 years.
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