Code Red for nature & people: Top solutions for scaling a green and fair COVID-19 recovery

The Green Economy Coalition (GEC) held a five-day global meeting in November 2021 to identify interventions for a green and fair COVID-19 recovery. The event focused on four primary themes: the 'Code Red' status of nature and climate, the role of a new social contract in addressing inequality, the need for a nature-positive economy, and the alignment of recovery packages with the energy transition. Key outcomes include the finalization of a 'Declaration on a Green COVID-19 Recovery' and a strategic decision to prioritize green recovery advocacy leading up to Stockholm+50 in June 2022. The GEC also agreed to restructure its growth around three working groups: policy, funding, and communications.

• The GEC identifies a 'Code Red' situation where climate impacts, biodiversity loss, and planetary boundaries are entering dangerous territory, while COVID-19 lockdowns and recession have created a 'new poor' and accelerated inequality between rich and poor.
• While COVID-19 stimulus packages offer a chance to accelerate the green transition, nature and biodiversity have been largely neglected in these packages, and the private sector remains largely blind to its impact on nature.
• There is a significant disparity in funding, with the G20 pledging at least $325 billion to support fossil fuels since January 2020, which exceeds the $279 billion allocated for clean energy.
• The GEC argues that the current social contract is broken, leading to increased unrest and populism, and asserts that a transition to a green and fair economy requires deep social support and a progressive, intersectional alliance.
• The coalition finalized a 'Declaration on a Green COVID-19 Recovery' demanding structural transformation, including the end of fossil fuel subsidies, a green recovery finance package for the global south, and investment in green infrastructure and reskilling.

APA

Green Economy Coalition (2021). Code Red for nature & people: Top solutions for scaling a green and fair COVID-19 recovery. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GM2021/Global-Meeting-2021-Summary-v1.0.pdf

Chicago

Green Economy Coalition. Code Red for nature & people: Top solutions for scaling a green and fair COVID-19 recovery. 2021. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GM2021/Global-Meeting-2021-Summary-v1.0.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Economy Coalition |title=Code Red for nature & people: Top solutions for scaling a green and fair COVID-19 recovery |date=2021 |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GM2021/Global-Meeting-2021-Summary-v1.0.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greeneconomycoalition2021code, author = {{Green Economy Coalition}}, title = {{Code Red for nature \& people: Top solutions for scaling a green and fair COVID-19 recovery}}, institution = {Green Economy Coalition}, year = {2021}, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GM2021/Global-Meeting-2021-Summary-v1.0.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }