THE GREEN ECONOMY BAROMETER 2016

The Green Economy Barometer 2016, published by the Green Economy Coalition (GEC), assesses the global transition toward green and fair economies. The report assigns a score of 4 out of 10 to the transition, noting that while international policy architecture, renewable energy investment, and corporate awareness of natural capital risks have improved, the transition lacks the depth and breadth to address extreme poverty, the informal economy, and systemic structural reform.

• The transition to green economies has seen significant acceleration in investment and policy, with renewable energy investment exceeding that of oil and coal in 2015. For the first time, total investment in renewable power and fuels in developing countries surpassed that in developed economies.
• Several nations have established ambitious carbon neutrality and sector-specific targets. Sweden, Costa Rica, and Norway have committed to carbon neutrality, while India has pledged to make all cars electric by 2030. China's installed renewable energy capacity is now larger than that of all other countries combined.
• Despite progress, the transition is criticized for being too narrow and failing to include the world's poorest. Most national green growth plans focus on specific sectors and ignore the informal economy, where up to 80% of people in the poorest countries earn their living.
• There is a growing trend of valuing natural capital among businesses and governments, though this has not yet translated into core strategic action. While the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition represents 52% of global GDP in support of carbon pricing, only 4 of the FTSE 100 companies mention natural capital in their reports.
• Green finance is expanding through new vehicles like green bonds, with significant leadership from China and the Bank of England. However, the report notes that definitions of 'green finance' remain blurry and it is unclear if these funds reach small and medium enterprises (SMEs) or the poorest populations.
• Public concern for the environment is high, but this has not yet shifted mainstream political discourse or ballot box behavior. The report identifies several narratives used to drive transition, including 'sound economic management' (highlighting costs like air pollution to the NHS in the UK) and 'community empowerment' (such as community-led energy production in Germany).

APA

Green Economy Coalition (2016). THE GREEN ECONOMY BAROMETER 2016. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/Green-Economy-Barometer-2016.pdf

Chicago

Green Economy Coalition. THE GREEN ECONOMY BAROMETER 2016. 2016. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/Green-Economy-Barometer-2016.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Economy Coalition |title=THE GREEN ECONOMY BAROMETER 2016 |date=2016 |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/Green-Economy-Barometer-2016.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greeneconomycoalition2016green, author = {{Green Economy Coalition}}, title = {{THE GREEN ECONOMY BAROMETER 2016}}, institution = {Green Economy Coalition}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/Green-Economy-Barometer-2016.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }