Climate change can only be stopped through the global transformation of the economy and lifestyles. Corresponding goals have already been anchored in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement. However, the ensuing commitments present a challenge for many countries and require comprehensive solutions.
The Inclusive Green Economy (IGE) approach links the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in a way that enables both objectives to have a positive influence on one another. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) developed the concept in 2008, and the UN alliance Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) has been promoting it since 2013. In view of the need for a green recovery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now high up on the international agenda.
The project uses green economy approaches to strengthen the capacities of key public sector actors to implement SDGs and NDCs more systematically. The experiences made are communicated internationally and have a signal effect. Building on two predecessor projects, the project supports ongoing transformation approaches in selected partner countries, which currently include Argentina, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Peru, South Africa and Uruguay. The project links national efforts with international networks, thus promoting knowledge exchange and transformation partnerships. It places a particular emphasis on financial policy approaches that create financial incentives for a green economy. Building on existing IGE solutions, the project is committed to the implementation of a green recovery.
On behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the project is implemented in cooperation with UNEP. Alongside PAGE, the international cooperation partners include the Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP), the Green Fiscal Policy Network and the UNEP/UNDP initiative ‘Poverty Environment Action for SDGs’.