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Greener and fairer

Governments are investing hundreds of billions of euros in their economies to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This special situation offers a unique opportunity to make life greener and fairer.

Green Recovery

Green Recovery - The transition to a different economic model was foreseeable even before the COVID-19 pandemic

The transition to a different economic model was foreseeable even before the COVID-19 pandemic. The threat of global warming, reckless overconsumption of resources and growing inequality were highlighting the limits of growth. COVID-19 has now heightened this: the more eco-systems are destroyed, the more extreme climate change will become and the greater the likelihood of new pandemics – with all the associated negative impacts, particularly for the poorest.

To prevent these exceptional situations from becoming the rule, sustainability should become the top priority, as set out in the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement. The objective: environmentally friendly, gender-balanced, socially responsible societies.  The responses to this crisis could accelerate this necessary societal and ecological transformation, provided that recovery packages set the right priorities. The additional funds should be invested in areas including renewable energy, green hydrogen, energy efficiency, water-saving agricultural practices and biodiversity conservation. And they should re-dress the balance in places where climate change is threatening people’s livelihoods.

17%

per cent of post-COVID-19 measures are regarded
as green and sustainable by the OECD.

Green Recovery - GIZ is supporting a host of green recovery measures in its partners countries

GIZ is supporting a host of green recovery measures in its partners countries. It is promoting sustainable jobs, resource-saving technologies and green financial products. With the right decisions and investments now, GIZ wants to foster a swift transition to economies and societies that are more sustainable overall. The post-COVID-19 age thus provides a good opportunity for two-fold benefits.

Quote

Inger Andersen, ©UNEP

“Humanity is facing a pandemic, an economic crisis and an ecological breakdown - we cannot afford to lose on any front.”

 

Inger Andersen
UNEP Executive Director

Current Topics

Report

Green is the colour of hope

An excursion to the area surrounding the La Tigra ­Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica illustrates how many ­people are working together in the interests of nature conservation – the private sector is also doing its bit for the green recovery.

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Report

Confidence on wheels

Remote, but forward-looking: Singra shows how e-mobility can change lives – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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portrait

Exploring and protecting

A young Moroccan speleologist is preserving biodiversity in his home country and creating income opportunities. This is the story of somebody with a long-term vision – even in (and especially in) the COVID-19 crisis.

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Report

Solar power system

A solar pump at an agricultural training centre in Benin has made the donkey work of irrigating fields a thing of the past.
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Working together globally to fight single-use plastic

  • The title of this striking image is ‘Guardians of the Great Wall’. It won a Chinese photography competition in 2020, which was launched as part of a cross-border project Rethinking Plastics: Circular Economy Solutions to Reduce Marine Litter. What you cannot see from the photo is that the Great Wall of China runs all the way to the sea.

    The title of this striking image is ‘Guardians of the Great Wall’. It won a Chinese photography competition in 2020, which was launched as part of a cross-border project Rethinking Plastics: Circular Economy Solutions to Reduce Marine Litter. What you cannot see from the photo is that the Great Wall of China runs all the way to the sea. © GIZ / Limin

  • In Indonesia, the project is supported by dedicated ‘EcoRangers’. To tackle marine waste, they encourage local communities, fishers and tourists to get involved in managing waste. One focus is on switching to reusable bags, straws, cutlery and food packaging on markets.

    In Indonesia, the project is supported by dedicated ‘EcoRangers’. To tackle marine waste, they encourage local communities, fishers and tourists to get involved in managing waste. One focus is on switching to reusable bags, straws, cutlery and food packaging on markets. © GIZ / Scholz

  • In Thailand, the project is also supporting the development of alternative packaging to reduce single-use plastic – for example for food deliveries.

    In Thailand, the project is also supporting the development of alternative packaging to reduce single-use plastic – for example for food deliveries. © GIZ / Korawut NEEPARN

  • On the beaches of the Thai island Koh Phi Phi, GIZ is working with local communities and the tourism sector to prevent plastic waste in the ocean and to conserve biodiversity.

    On the beaches of the Thai island Koh Phi Phi, GIZ is working with local communities and the tourism sector to prevent plastic waste in the ocean and to conserve biodiversity. © GIZ / Kampe

  • An online platform developed to improve ship-generated waste management also aims to prevent the illegal dumping of waste in the ocean and promote recycling.

    An online platform developed to improve ship-generated waste management also aims to prevent the illegal dumping of waste in the ocean and promote recycling. © GIZ / Kampe

  • The initiative raises people’s awareness of how much single-use plastic they use and encourages them to take responsibility for preventing and reducing it.

    The initiative raises people’s awareness of how much single-use plastic they use and encourages them to take responsibility for preventing and reducing it. © GIZ / Tejada