Task Force on Low-Carbon Prosperity Recommendations

The World Economic Forum's Task Force on Low-Carbon Prosperity recommends a suite of public-private initiatives to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. Key proposals include creating global energy efficiency standards, an international portfolio of smart grid and carbon capture projects, and regional low-carbon infrastructure funds for developing countries. The report emphasizes the need for common climate disclosure metrics, the integration of REDD+ into carbon markets, and the development of innovative financing for climate adaptation, arguing that public finance must be used to leverage significantly larger amounts of private institutional capital.

• Energy efficiency is identified as the most cost-effective immediate mitigation tool, with the potential to provide 35% to 50% of the emission reductions required by 2020 to reach a 450 ppm pathway.
• The Task Force proposes adding a private sector dimension to the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC) to facilitate voluntary intra-industry cooperation and the creation of globally-accepted minimum energy-efficiency standards for energy-intensive goods.
• To accelerate low-carbon technology, the report recommends an international portfolio of 10 large-scale integrated smart grid demonstration projects and up to 25 carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects between 2013 and 2025.
• The report suggests establishing a network of regional energy research and innovation centres, termed the Consultative Group on International Energy Research (CGIER), modelled on the CGIAR agricultural research network to support developing countries.
• To address the funding gap in developing countries, the Task Force proposes two investment models: 'MDB Low-Carbon Challenge Funds' to catalyze US$ 10 billion per region per three-year cycle by 2011, and 'Regional Low-carbon Cornerstone Funds' to mobilize US$ 50-75 billion per region every three years by 2013.
• The report calls for a joint project between the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) to create a principles-based international financial reporting standard for corporate climate disclosure.
• Forest-based mitigation, specifically through REDD+, is estimated to potentially deliver 4 to 5 Gt of abatement by 2020, representing approximately one-quarter of the total required for a 450 ppm trajectory.
• The Task Force recommends a phased approach to REDD+, starting with a 'readiness' phase requiring at least 3 billion euros over five years for capacity building to prepare for private sector engagement by January 1, 2013.
• To create efficient linked carbon markets, the report suggests a public-private expert dialogue to harmonize target-setting, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) rules, and the use of international credits.
• The report argues that adaptation is a global imperative and proposes a major public-private dialogue hosted by developing countries to develop innovative financing mechanisms, similar to the Global Fund or IFFIm in the health sector.
• The report identifies that eliminating US$ 310 billion of annual energy subsidies to developing country consumers could reduce global GHG emissions by about 10% by 2050.

APA

World Economic Forum (2009). Task Force on Low-Carbon Prosperity Recommendations. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TaskForceLowCarbonProsperity_Recommendations_2009.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Task Force on Low-Carbon Prosperity Recommendations. 2009. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TaskForceLowCarbonProsperity_Recommendations_2009.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Task Force on Low-Carbon Prosperity Recommendations |date=October 2009 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TaskForceLowCarbonProsperity_Recommendations_2009.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2009task, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Task Force on Low-Carbon Prosperity Recommendations}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2009}, month = oct, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TaskForceLowCarbonProsperity_Recommendations_2009.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }