Sustainable Policy Responses for the Aviation Sector

On October 26, 2020, The Rockefeller Foundation announced its commitment of USD 1 billion over the next 3 years to strengthen health systems and improve access to clean energy in developing countries. This commitment to green recovery in developing countries intends to rebuild economies and secure a safer future. Beyond the economic benefits that this...Read more »

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published its new flagship report, Energy Technology Perspectives 2020. It analyses more than 800 different technology options to assess pathways to reaching net-zero emissions by 2070 while ensuring a resilient and secure energy system. According to the report, transitioning only the power sector to clean energy would get the...Read more »

The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) published a paper about the use of debt swaps to address the debt, climate, and biodiversity crises. Published in September 2020, the paper illustrates how governments could address this triple crisis in their COVID-19 recovery packages using debt for climate and nature program swaps. According to the...Read more »

On August 27, 2020, partners of the U.K. Ignition project launched the report Nature-Based Solutions to the Climate Emergency: The Benefits to Business and Society. The project’s aim is to develop innovative financing solutions for investments in Greater Manchester’s natural environment, helping the city to adapt to the impacts of climate change. The report presents...Read more »

On August 26, 2020, The Guardian reported the creation of a new joint venture that seeks to invest billions in natural capital around the world. HSBC Global Asset Management and Pollination, a climate advisory and investment firm, are forming the world’s largest investment firm dedicated to environmentally friendly projects beyond renewable energy. The plan is...Read more »

In August 2020, the Biofuture Platform launched a set of voluntary principles designed to help economies create jobs in the bioenergy sector. The Biofuture Platform is a government-led, multi-stakeholder initiative supporting international coordination for a low-carbon bioeconomy. The bioenergy sector, currently employing around 3 million people worldwide, was severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. At...Read more »

In August 2020, more than 100 economists called for an end to the carbon economy in a letter published by The Guardian. They argue that, while the current crisis drastically reveals the weaknesses of the current economic system, it also offers a window of opportunity to build back better and foster stability. The letter includes...Read more »

On July 6, 2020, the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI) released a framework to guide investors in engaging with policy-makers on a sustainable recovery. UN PRI writes that, as policy-makers are rolling out recovery strategies, investors should engage with them to provide technical expertise and to ensure that capital is steered toward...Read more »

In June, E3G and the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program published a report on how climate-friendly cooling can support a clean, resilient Covid-19 recovery. They identified six key opportunities for including sustainable cooling solutions in stimulus packages that can create jobs, reduce emissions, secure the supply chains of medical care products and food, and boost the...Read more »

Bloomberg’s Supply Lines provides thought provoking perspectives Jim Thompson, founder and chairman of Crown Worldwide Group. Thomson draws from experience since 1965 in the logistics industry. He suggests that COVID 19’s supply chain disruptions will signify and bumpy ride rather and a dramatic fall in global trade. Thomson also remains skeptical that digital technologies and...Read more »

Evidence is emerging regarding the consequences of economic and income inequality. The UN High Commission for Human Rights reports on the disproportionately severe impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethic minorities. Likely causes for the higher death rates across minorities in all countries include poor health care, overcrowded housing, exposure to environmental risks, and broader...Read more »

The International Energy Agency (IEA) in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published a Sustainable Recovery Plan on June 18th, 2020 that suggests a $3-trillion stimulus package for transitioning globally towards clean energy over a course of three years. The plan focusses on stimulus measures for six sectors that the EIA identifies as fundamental...Read more »

Sustainable investing will play an important role in financing COVID-19 recovery measures alongside other pressing social and environmental objectives. Therefore, it is great to see that sustainable investing passed its first real test of how much investors really care about sustainability. The FT reports that the COVID-19 pandemic has not seemed to impact investor’s commitment...Read more »

In a sustainable recovery, social protection measures must reflect the current role of women in the care economy. UN Women also pleads for ensuring women have a seat at the table in the design of economic recovery packages, as there is plenty of evidence that more inclusive responses to crises are also better and more...Read more »

In May 2020, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Secretariat published a new report that analyzes the inequalities that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic and demonstrates how already disadvantaged groups have been disproportionately affected. The report illustrates why it is so important for a sustainable recovery to ensure access to opportunities on the...Read more »

On June 5, 2020, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development published a brief on how economic recovery measures can be designed to build back better. Governments must put well-being and inclusiveness at the centre of their approach to a resilient recovery, while at the same time staying on track to achieve the goals of...Read more »

While many calls to action for green or sustainable recovery have been made, The Guardian reported on June 6, 2020, that at least USD 500 billion will be benefiting fossil fuel industries, without green strings attached.

On May 29, 2020, The Guardian reported increasing evidence on the link between exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 infections and death rates. To make societies more resilient and avoid a second wave, tackling air pollution must play a central role in the recovery.

On June 4, 2020, on the evening before World Environment Day, the International Union for Conversation of Nature (IUCN) explained in this blog why protecting our natural environment is a safer and cheaper option than waiting for the next crisis to hit. 

The World Resources Institute reports that the rate of return of climate adaptation investments ranges from 2:1 to 10:1. The investments considered in the simulation include strengthening early warning systems, making new infrastructure climate resilient, improving dryland agriculture for crop production, protecting mangroves, and making water resources more resilient. These five investment areas alone can...Read more »

On December 8, 2020, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced a new USD 708 billion economic stimulus package. The package will comprise about USD 384.5 billion in direct fiscal spending and initiatives aiming at reducing carbon emissions and fostering digital innovation. For example, USD 19.2 billion is earmarked for a fund to promote carbon neutrality...Read more »

The Italian government unveiled the outline of the national COVID-19 recovery plan, which will allocate a total of EUR 196 billion to six key areas. The plan includes the following investments: EUR 74.3 billion is earmarked for a green revolution and ecologic transition.EUR 48.7 billion will go toward digitalization and innovation.EUR 27.7 billion will be...Read more »

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted the urgency of a green recovery in a speech on December 2, 2020. In his address at Columbia University in New York, he painted a bleak picture of the state of the planet, pointing to the concerning results of the provisional State of the Global Climate report by the...Read more »

The Government of Finland intends to invest European Union (EU) stimulus funds in reducing carbon emissions and fostering ecological sustainability. Finland will receive about EUR 2.3 billion from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility during 2021–2023. These funds form part of the EUR 750 billion recovery fund that the EU is planning to provide to...Read more »

On November 25, the Government of the United Kingdom presented its spending review and the first National Infrastructure Strategy. Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced an investment of GBP 100 billion in infrastructure in 2021/2022. Despite recent political commitments, the National Infrastructure Strategy includes little new spending for green projects. For instance, GBP 27 billion is earmarked...Read more »

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, launched the first part of London’s Green New Deal fund. The investments of GBP 10 million aim to boost green jobs, tackle climate change, and address inequalities. This first phase of the package is expected to secure around 1,000 green jobs—for instance, related to solar panel installation and energy...Read more »

On November 17, 2020, the United Kingdom government unveiled its 10-point green recovery plan. The GBP 12 billion stimulus package will benefit the green economy across the country, for instance going toward carbon capture, hydrogen, nuclear, electric vehicles, and renewable energy. Prime Minister Boris Johnson estimates that the green recovery plan will create 250,000 new...Read more »

In a policy briefing published on November 12, the think tank E3G discusses Europe’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and efforts to align the recovery with the European Green Deal. The paper called Drafting Recovery Plans for a Resilient and Green Economy emphasizes that national governments should carefully plan their recovery packages to make...Read more »

On November 10, 2020, members of the High Ambition Coalition underlined commitments for a green recovery, aiming for 60% of recovery spending to be climate-friendly; a phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies; and debt relief to give developing states the capacity for a green recovery. The coalition calls for an ambitious recovery from COVID-19 that sets...Read more »

A new report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) tracks G20 countries’ progress in ending government support to fossil fuels and reveals large public money commitments for fossil fuel-intensive sectors in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The report Doubling Back and Doubling Down: G20 Scorecard on Fossil Fuel Funding was developed together with...Read more »

The Government of the United Kingdom announced GBP 134 million in cleantech funding on November 4, 2020. The investments are part of the country’s green recovery efforts and aim to help clean growth projects develop new technologies, create new jobs, drive productivity, and tackle climate change.  The GBP 134 million comes from the United Kingdom’s Sustainable...Read more »

On October 30, 2020, the South Africa National Department for Cooperative Governance, World Resources Institute (WRI) Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, and the Coalition for Urban Transitions announced a new partnership. It will support a green, resilient, and equitable COVID-19 recovery for cities in South Africa while focusing on implementing the country’s Integrated Urban Development...Read more »

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has announced the country will commit to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. During a speech to parliament on October 28, he reaffirmed plans for a Green New Deal and pledged to replace coal power generation with renewable energy. As part of the USD 37 billion Green New Deal, South Korea...Read more »

New research commissioned by the C40 Global Mayors COVID-19 Recovery Task Force illustrates the benefits of green and just recovery for employment, emissions, and health across the world’s 100 leading cities. The new technical report, published in October 2020, compares how urban greenhouse gas emissions, health, and jobs could develop under a green recovery compared...Read more »

In early October, the Spanish President Pedro Sánchez presented plans to invest EUR 72 billion in European funds over the next three years, aiming to create 800,000 jobs. The Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan addresses four key areas for a COVID-19 recovery: ecological transition, digitalization, gender equality, and social cohesion. The Spanish government expects the...Read more »

The Reuters Foundation reported on October 21, 2020, that New Zealand’s recently re-elected Prime Minister, Jacinda Arden, is being urged to pursue green economic recovery plans. Arden’s successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic is being seen as an indication of good crisis management skills. As her demonstrated commitment to facing environmental concerns was the main...Read more »

On October 19, the We Mean Business Coalition published a report illustrating that green recovery plans boost income, employment and GDP better than traditional stimulus measures. It therefore recommends governments to reject return-to-normal stimulus packages, e.g. with a focus on VAT reductions and increasing household spending, in favour of targeted support for green technologies and...Read more »

Experts from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), in cooperation with the World Economic Forum, have published a framework for designing effective infrastructure stimulus plans. In an article published on September 25, 2020, they present lessons and recommendations to help governments develop infrastructure packages that support economic recovery and provide relief from the COVID-19 crisis while also...Read more »

The New Climate Institute has launched a new report about recently adopted climate policies and climate-relevant policy responses to COVID-19. The report is the latest in a series of publications analyzing global climate action. It includes three sections: An overview table of climate mitigation policies adopted or planned between July 2019 and August 2020, covering...Read more »

On October 1, 2020, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a plan to position the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) as an important vehicle for a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The bank will allocate CAD 10 billion within three years to projects that create 60,000 jobs and contribute to a green, low-carbon economy. Priority...Read more »

In an article published in September 2020, authors from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) make the case for scaling up green recovery efforts worldwide. The article underlines that well-designed economic stimulus packages can create much-needed jobs and lower emissions while also transforming the countries for leadership in the green economy over the longer term. The...Read more »

In September 2020, The Guardian reported that a majority of people across Britain supports an ambitious transformation of the United Kingdom into a greener, fairer, and more equal society. The assessment is based on an extensive inquiries by a cross-party group of MPs, which involved over 55,000 people through representative polls, workshops, and telephone conversations....Read more »

The Task Force for a Resilient Recovery has released its final report, recommending CAD 55.4 billion in green recovery investments to support long-term jobs and economic growth in Canada. The Task Force encourages Canada’s leaders to learn from the missed opportunities after the 2008/09 financial crisis when countries invested in recovery measures that resulted in a historic...Read more »

The governments of Canada and British Columbia unveiled details about their investments in green energy solutions across British Columbia. According to a press release from September 1, 2020, eleven projects will be funded to save energy and reduce pollution. The projects are jointly financed by the Government of Canada, local and Indigenous communities, and the...Read more »

On September 3, 2020, the French government unveiled details about the country’s new EUR 100 billion economic stimulus package. It is meant to increase the competitiveness of the French economy, boost jobs, and green the economy. One third of the stimulus package, which amounts to 4% of the GDP, is allocated to green measures. According...Read more »

Singapore President Halimah Yacob revealed plans for the country’s green recovery during the opening of the nation’s 14th Parliament on August 24, 2020. She announced major efforts to foster sustainable growth while improving social safety nets and education. The government plans to “push for green financing and sustainable infrastructure development across the region, to ride...Read more »

In August, the Canadian government announced improved funding opportunities for infrastructure projects in the country. Provinces and territories can redirect up to 10% of the funds they originally received under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to the new COVID-19 Resilience funding stream. The maximum total volume to be reallocated amounts to CAD 3.3 billion....Read more »

On August 12, 2020, the National Observer published an article analyzing Canada’s stimulus spending for the energy sector. Based on data compiled by the Energy Policy Tracker, which is co-hosted by IISD, the authors highlight the huge sums supporting the production and consumption of fossil fuels. Canada, in particular, has committed a total of USD...Read more »

The Department for Transport in England announced a second recovery package for bus and light rail operators on August 8, 2020. The GBP 256 million package supports public transport operators as they continue to cope with reduced passenger numbers and hence lower revenues compared to pre COVID-19 levels while being asked to increase service frequency...Read more »

The Rocky Mountain Institute, RMI India and NITI Aayog have just released a report on how a green recovery of India’s energy sector could be realized. The report identifies opportunities for the country to boost the energy transition, building a clean, resilient, and low-cost energy future for India. It also discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic...Read more »

On August 3, 2020, the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced the financing of nearly 40 projects in Barcelona that serve multiple objectives for the city. On the one hand, the projects contribute to the climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts of the city; on the other hand, they create jobs and enhance social inclusion. Therefore,...Read more »

London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the London Recovery Board announced a GBP 1.5 billion Infrastructure Investment Package on July 29, 2020, that aims to recover the local economy, creating jobs and reducing London’s carbon and water footprints. The specific projects and corresponding budget allocations are yet to be defined. Projects will be implemented together with...Read more »

The Autonomous Province of Trento has signed an agreement for EUR 300 million in financing from the European Investment Bank to distribute loans to municipalities and public entities in need of funding for a sustainable recovery from the pandemic. The agreement was signed on July 21, 2020, and an initial tranche of EUR 160 million...Read more »

On July 22, 2020, the British government announced a GBP 350 million budget to fund the decarbonization of heavy industry and the construction, transportation, and aviation sectors. This green recovery spending is earmarked to support the U.K.’s target to reach the net-zero target by 2050 and advance green innovation. The press release provides details about...Read more »

A consortium of 14 expert organizations, including the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), launched an Energy Policy Tracker on July 15, 2020. The collaborative initiative tracks real-time data on approved public finance and policy measures targeting energy generation and consumption to stimulate economies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The presented data shows, at...Read more »

On 15. July 2020 the European Investment Bank (EIB) approved EUR 16.6 billion of new financing, of which EUR 10.2 billion will be invested for COVID-19 related recovery projects. Investments are earmarked for improving public health services and adapting other public services institutions across several European countries to respond better to the pandemic. Credit lines...Read more »

The South Korean Government announced a Green New Deal on July 14, 2020, worth approximately KRW 114 trillion (USD 94.5 billion), which is meant to be invested over the course of the next years to help the country’s economy to recover from the COVID-19-related recession. The foreseen government spending is targeted at creating 1.9 million...Read more »

After rail companies have already received bailouts worth £ 3.5 billion over the past few months of the COVID-19 recovery phase, signals increase that the railway system in Britain will be nationalised as reported on 09th July, 2020. The Office for National Statistics published a review that suggests counting the debt of railway operators on...Read more »

The Government of New Zealand earmarked a NZ$ 3 billion portion from the country´s COVID Response and Recovery Fund to invest in infrastructure plans. The Cabinet announced on June 30th 2020, how the Infrastructure Fund will be allocated across regions and sectors with the target to create more than 20,000 jobs and unlock additional investments....Read more »

On 30th June 2020, the UK parliament passed new road transport legislation that will allow rentable e-scooters on streets from July 4th onwards. The use of privately owned e-scooters remains however illegal on public roads. The new rules will allow local authorities and administrations in the UK to deploy and promote e-scooter sharing schemes. A...Read more »

Austrian Airlines received a substantial bailout package of EUR 600 million, comprised of EUR 150 million state aid, EUR 300 bank loans to be repaid by 2026 and EUR 150 million equity capital provided by Lufthansa. This bailout package is tied to several carbon performance targets, which the airline agreed to on June 8th, 2020....Read more »

On June 15, 2020, the Spanish Government announced a EUR 3.75 billion recovery package for the domestic automotive industry, of which 70% will be used to bailout companies in the automotive value chain. The remaining 30% includes measures for accelerating a sustainable transport sector in Spain, including the electrification of public transport, adjustment of rail...Read more »

Several of the 126 countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are calling for debt relief, including for infrastructure projects that have been hit by negative economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A range of BRI projects, such as coal-fired power plants, hydropower plants, and oil palm plantations, has been criticized for their...Read more »

The German Government announced a new EUR 130 billion economic stimulus package on June 03, 2020. It includes several strong measures for stimulating a green recovery and fostering a low-carbon economy in Germany. While some critics emphasize that the new package still misses consistent incorporation of ambitious climate targets that would ensure a full alignment...Read more »

The Finnish Government announced a EUR 5.5 billion supplementary budget on June 02, 2020 to support the economic recovery in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. About a fourth of the recovery package is dedicated for developing the country’s railway and tramway infrastructure as well as to support public transport operators. Moreover, plans have been announced...Read more »

South Korea’s ambition to implement a Green New Deal was already affirmed after the National Assembly elections mid-April. This Green Deal will be realized as a core strategy during the COVID-19 recovery as reported on May 29, 2020. It entails, among others, public investments into expanding renewable energy generation and greening the transport sector in...Read more »