The Data Is in—Governments Must Green Their COVID-19 Recovery to Keep Global Temperature Rise to 1.5°C

Research organizations tracking global recovery spending report that current green recovery spending represents only 10%–20% of global totals, which is insufficient for a low-carbon transition. The statement urges governments to adopt 'do-no-harm' principles, eliminate public finance for fossil fuel production, and increase support for nature-based solutions and low-income economies to ensure a just and green recovery.

• Global stimulus response to the COVID-19 pandemic involved the allocation of USD 16–17.2 trillion, but green recovery spending currently accounts for only 10%–20% of this total, which is deemed insufficient for the transition to resilient, low-carbon economies.
• Public and private investments in clean energy from 2021 to 2023 reached only 35% of the level required to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Furthermore, fossil fuel activities still comprise approximately 40% of total public spending within energy-intensive sectors.
• Investment in nature and biodiversity is critically low, estimated at only 1% of recovery spending, despite the potential for nature-based solutions to provide significant employment and emission reductions.
• There is a severe disparity in recovery spending per capita, which is nearly 20 times higher in advanced economies than in emerging markets and developing economies, and 200 times higher than in low-income economies.
• The European Union implemented a 37% climate target for member states' recovery packages and a "do no significant harm" requirement, which served to encourage the greening of recovery plans over time.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2021). The Data Is in—Governments Must Green Their COVID-19 Recovery to Keep Global Temperature Rise to 1.5°C. https://www.iisd.org/articles/covid-19-green-recovery-trackers-statement

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. The Data Is in—Governments Must Green Their COVID-19 Recovery to Keep Global Temperature Rise to 1.5°C. 2021. https://www.iisd.org/articles/covid-19-green-recovery-trackers-statement.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=The Data Is in—Governments Must Green Their COVID-19 Recovery to Keep Global Temperature Rise to 1.5°C |date=29 October 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/covid-19-green-recovery-trackers-statement |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2021data, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{The Data Is in—Governments Must Green Their COVID-19 Recovery to Keep Global Temperature Rise to 1.5°C}}, publisher = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/covid-19-green-recovery-trackers-statement}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }