So you thought avoiding climate change by investing massively into cleantech would be bad for economic growth and GDP ? Please pray do read on and share. As Euractiv noted :
” Global economic output could rise by as much as an additional $2.6 trillion (€1.9tn) a year, or 2.2%, by 2030 if government policies improve energy efficiency, waste management and public transport.”
To the World Bank, which published the report, ” the same development projects that improve communities, save lives, and increase GDP can also fight climate change. “
The public statement goes on and notes that :
The report, Climate-Smart Development: Adding Up the Benefits of Actions that Help Build Prosperity, End Poverty and Combat Climate Change, focuses on five large countries – Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and the United States – plus the European Union. It examines the benefits of all six implementing three sets of policies on clean transportation, energy efficiency in industry, and energy efficiency in buildings.
In the transportation policy scenario, for example, if the five countries and the EU shifted more travel to public transit, moved more fright traffic off of roads to rails and sea, and improved fuel efficiency, they could save about 20,000 lives a year, avert hundreds of millions of dollars in crop losses, save nearly $300 billion in energy, and reduce climate changing emissions by more than four gigatons.
I just hope this will be read and acted upon.