On the Right Path to Paris?

The report examines the concept of 'Green Growth' and its potential to unblock international climate negotiations. It identifies a lack of a unified definition among stakeholders—including economists, the private sector, and civil society—and notes that while some developing nations have adopted the framework, major powers like the US, China, and the EU have not. The document argues that the narrative can gain traction by evidencing climate co-benefits and aligning with the Intended National Determined Contributions (INDC) process. Case studies from Brazil, India, and Colombia illustrate how these principles are applied domestically, though challenges such as low loan take-up in Brazil and the need for affordable technology in India persist.

• The term 'Green Growth' lacks a consistent definition, serving as a rebrand for low-carbon development for some, an update to sustainable development for others, and a public-sector narrative that implies greater regulation and directed investment, which often makes the private sector suspicious.
• Adoption of the Green Growth concept is stronger in some developing countries than in developed ones; South Korea and Ethiopia have the strongest national focus, while the US, China, and the EU are notably absent from the first tier of supporting countries.
• Neoclassical economics often acts as a barrier to the credibility of Green Growth because its focus on market optimization suggests that a system cannot improve if given conscious direction or constraints.
• The 2015 Paris negotiations face risks of 'locking-in failure' if national commitments (INDCs) remain conservative, lack clear review pathways, or fail to integrate low-carbon objectives with global temperature targets.
• There is a disconnect between climate change negotiations and the global trading system, specifically regarding the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) launched in July 2014 to facilitate free trade in environmental goods among 14 WTO members.
• Brazil's Plano ABC (Low Carbon Agriculture) aims for emissions reductions and adaptation, but faces challenges with low take-up of low-interest loans and insufficient monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) standards.
• India's Green Growth drivers include energy efficiency policies like the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme, where emissions reductions are seen as co-benefits of domestic priorities such as energy access and cost-competitiveness.
• Colombia views Green Growth as a necessary part of national planning to address climate impacts on poverty, employment, and sectorial competitiveness, while also seeking to align with OECD environmental performance reviews.

APA

Climate Strategies (2015). On the Right Path to Paris? https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/On-the-Right-Path-to-Paris.pdf

Chicago

Climate Strategies. On the Right Path to Paris? 2015. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/On-the-Right-Path-to-Paris.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Strategies |title=On the Right Path to Paris? |date=30 April 2015 |url=https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/On-the-Right-Path-to-Paris.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatestrategies2015right, author = {{Climate Strategies}}, title = {{On the Right Path to Paris?}}, institution = {Climate Strategies}, year = {2015}, month = apr, url = {https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/On-the-Right-Path-to-Paris.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }