COP19 (18/11/13) – Howard Bamsey the Director General of the Global Green Growth Institute says the institution is currently working with twenty member states on green growth.

In their membership they have representation from the whole development spectrum and that allows them to learn more about what works and does not work in the green growth pathway. They respond to requests from governments that wish to grow and develop but not in the same way we have historically done. It is about growing in a new way that does not replicate the harm to the environment and climate that we are currently facing.

The key to a growth pathway that is compatible with the climate is analysis and planning. They pay attention to economic analysis and answering the type of questions Lord Stern addressed in his report.

When a country requests the help of the Global Growth Institute they start by laying out what their growth aspirations are and from there they analyse the options that will bring them to those outcomes.

The main barriers they are facing are derived from the individual economic barriers of the member states. Green growth is about change and creating a new paradigm shift. With all types of changes there those that benefit straightaway and those that will have to make compromises to see the benefit. The biggest issue is trying to deal with the tensions between immediate benefit and the adjustments that need to be made to mitigate the impacts of change.