In the next 15 years, the global economy will grow by more than half, according to the executive summary of the report, and about $90 trillion will be invested in the world’s cities, agriculture, and energy systems. The report notes that this substantial dollar amount provides an unprecedented opportunity to drive investment in low-carbon growth and reap benefits including jobs, health, business productivity, and quality of life.
Focusing on these three “key systems of the economy”—cities, land use, and energy—the report demonstrates how all countries, regardless of size and income, have the opportunity to grow their economies by being green.
Cities generate around 80 percent of global economic output, and around 70 percent of global energy use and energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Building more compact, connected cities based on mass public transport can save over $3 trillion in investments over the next 15 years. This strategy will improve economic performance and quality of life with lower emissions.
The population is projected to grow to eight billion by 2030, and land use productivity will determine how we feed this growing number of people. According to the report, restoring just 12 percent of the world’s degraded lands can feed another 200 million people and raise farmers’ incomes by $40 billion a year—and also cut emissions from deforestation.
As the price of solar and wind power falls dramatically, over half of new electricity generation over the next 15 years is likely to be from renewable energy, reducing dependence on highly polluting coal. In addition, the report says, “Greater investment in energy efficiency—in businesses, buildings, and transport—has huge potential to cut and manage demand. In developing countries, decentralized renewables can help provide electricity for the more than one billion people without access.”