22 January 2014: The Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP) has launched its knowledge-sharing platform and opened an office in Geneva, Switzerland. The events were marked with a high-level panel debate, titled ‘Green Economy and Green Growth: Passing Fad or Future Paradigm?’ The GGKP is a consortium of institutions and organizations working to identify and address knowledge gaps on green growth theory and practice.

Speaking at the panel debate, Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director, said, “The GGKP provides a much needed tool to bridge knowledge gaps, exchange information and deliver policy guidance to accelerate and support the transition towards green economic development.” Steiner noted that a green economy transformation should be a priority across the post-2015 development agenda to deliver improved livelihoods, growth and prosperity.

The website features experience, knowledge and support from the global economic and environmental sectors, with the aim of accelerating green growth. It has dashboards with data and policies for 193 countries and a searchable e-library with over 600 resources. Users can view information by country, region, sector or theme. Featured sectors include: agriculture; biodiversity; buildings; energy; fisheries; forestry; manufacturing; tourism; transport; waste; and water. Themes include: cities, climate change, development, fiscal instruments, gender, government procurement, indicators and measurement, institutions and governance, investment, market mechanisms, jobs, poverty and equity, risk and resilience, standards and regulations, technology and innovation, and trade and supply chains.

UNEP, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Bank and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) founded the GGKP in 2012. It currently has 29 partners. The Swiss Government has committed US$1.7 million over three years to the GGKP. [UN Press Release] [UNEP Press Release] [GGKP Press Release] [GGKP Website]