Green Shift to Sustainability: Co-Benefits & Impacts of Energy Transformation on Resource Industries, Trade, Growth and Taxes

This G20 Insights policy brief, contributed to by IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan and environmental NGOs, argues that while a transition to 100% renewable energy is economically inevitable and desirable, it may create misleading negative signals in traditional economic statistics as fossil fuel industries decline.

• The transition to 100% renewable energy is described as economically inevitable, socially desirable, and environmentally desirable, although it may result in negative signals in outdated statistics as the fossil fuel sector shrinks and trade diminishes.
• The decline of fossil fuel extraction and commodity trade will lead to the erosion of fossil asset values and a decrease in the industry's contribution to government revenue, international trade, economic activity (GDP), and capital formation.
• New energy systems utilizing renewables, storage, efficiency, and smart management are cheaper to operate, build, and maintain. While total utility is expected to grow due to innovation and the harvesting of free environmental flows, the tax base, GDP, and trade may shrink.

APA

Vaughan, S. (2017). Green Shift to Sustainability: Co-Benefits & Impacts of Energy Transformation on Resource Industries, Trade, Growth and Taxes. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/green-shift-sustainability-co-benefits-impacts-energy-transformation-resource

Chicago

Vaughan, Scott. Green Shift to Sustainability: Co-Benefits & Impacts of Energy Transformation on Resource Industries, Trade, Growth and Taxes. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2017. https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/green-shift-sustainability-co-benefits-impacts-energy-transformation-resource.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Vaughan |first1=Scott |title=Green Shift to Sustainability: Co-Benefits & Impacts of Energy Transformation on Resource Industries, Trade, Growth and Taxes |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=25 April 2017 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/green-shift-sustainability-co-benefits-impacts-energy-transformation-resource |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vaughan2017green, author = {Vaughan, Scott}, title = {{Green Shift to Sustainability: Co-Benefits \& Impacts of Energy Transformation on Resource Industries, Trade, Growth and Taxes}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2017}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/green-shift-sustainability-co-benefits-impacts-energy-transformation-resource}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }