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

A statement by research organizations tracking global recovery spending calling for the redirection of COVID-19 stimulus away from carbon-intensive activities toward nature- and climate-positive investments to align with the 1.5°C temperature limit of the Paris Agreement.

• Governments have allocated between USD 16–17.2 trillion in stimulus for the COVID-19 pandemic, the largest peacetime mobilization of public money. While there has been a slow shift toward greener policies since March 2020, green recovery spending is estimated to represent only 10%–20% of global recovery spending, which is insufficient for a transition to low-carbon economies.
• Public and private investment in clean energy from 2021 to 2023 accounts for only 35% of the investment required to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Furthermore, fossil fuel activities still account for approximately 40% of total public spending within energy-intensive sectors.
• Investment in nature and biodiversity is severely lacking, with an estimated 1% of recovery spending dedicated to these areas, despite the potential for nature-based solutions to generate significant employment and emission reductions.
• There is a significant disparity in recovery spending based on economic status: per capita spending in advanced economies is nearly 20 times higher than in emerging markets and developing economies, and 200 times higher than in low-income economies.
• The European Union (EU) has implemented a 37% climate target for member states' recovery packages and a "do no significant harm" requirement to guide investment decisions.

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} }