Setting a structural agenda for a green economic recovery from COVID-19

This research paper by the Green Economy Coalition proposes a structural agenda for a green economic recovery from COVID-19. It defines green structural reforms as systemic, long-lasting, and general-purpose interventions, contrasting them with short-term stimulus measures. The document provides a nested framework of ten high-level reform measures and a comprehensive set of prioritisation criteria (conventional, advanced, and systemic/political) to help governments move beyond emergency triage toward long-term socio-ecological transformation.

• The paper defines effective green structural reforms as having three essential characteristics: they must be systemic (altering fundamental economic arrangements), long-lasting (persistent measures for rebuilding resilience), and general purpose (applicable across most economic or geographic contexts).
• A proposed 'Green Structural Recovery Menu' consists of ten high-level measures: strengthened planning, strategies and governance; green fiscal reform; green monetary tools; sustainable financial system; just transition and inclusion policies; green skills and qualification measures; nature based solutions; green regulatory strengthening and deregulation; green infrastructure investment; and empowering green behaviour change.
• Analysis of the proposed reform menu suggests that 'Green skills and qualification measures' and 'Strengthened planning, strategies and governance' align most strongly with prioritisation criteria, while 'Green monetary tools' are the least well aligned due to their technical and indirect impact channels.
• The document identifies significant gaps in current green recovery implementation, specifically a lack of attention to gender-integrated policy, structural investment in nature, and support for MSMEs and informal actors.
• Financing a structural recovery in the global south is severely hindered by liquidity constraints and high debt levels, exemplified by Costa Rica, which had to redirect $370 million from its 2019 National Decarbonisation Plan to immediate pandemic response.
• The paper suggests several financing mechanisms to bridge the gap for developing nations, including debt-for-nature (DFN) or debt-for-climate (DFC) swaps, sustainability or SDG-linked sovereign bonds, and a World Bank-managed Guarantee Facility for Green and Inclusive Recovery.
• Case studies illustrate the risks of 'brown growth' when green aspirations lack structural frameworks; for example, Pakistan's '10 Billion Tree Tsunami' project occurred alongside simultaneous deforestation for large-scale infrastructure and heavy investment in coal.
• South Korea's experience after the 2008-10 crisis serves as a warning that high green spending (69% of stimulus) without structural energy sector reforms can fail to reduce emissions, as its carbon emissions increased by 35% from 2005 to 2018.
• The paper recommends that G7 and G20 governments increase their delivery of finance for the global south and provide the political will necessary for multilateral coordination and national-level green innovation.

APA

Hopkins, C., & Greenfield, O. (2022). Setting a structural agenda for a green economic recovery from COVID-19. Green Economy Coalition. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/Structural_Agenda_GE_Recovery_COVID19_PIGE_Paper_May22-v1.2.pdf

Chicago

Hopkins, Chris, and Oliver Greenfield. Setting a structural agenda for a green economic recovery from COVID-19. Green Economy Coalition, 2022. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/Structural_Agenda_GE_Recovery_COVID19_PIGE_Paper_May22-v1.2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hopkins |first1=Chris |last2=Greenfield |first2=Oliver |title=Setting a structural agenda for a green economic recovery from COVID-19 |publisher=Green Economy Coalition |date=June 2022 |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/Structural_Agenda_GE_Recovery_COVID19_PIGE_Paper_May22-v1.2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hopkins2022setting, author = {Hopkins, Chris and Greenfield, Oliver}, title = {{Setting a structural agenda for a green economic recovery from COVID-19}}, institution = {Green Economy Coalition}, year = {2022}, month = jun, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/Structural_Agenda_GE_Recovery_COVID19_PIGE_Paper_May22-v1.2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }