Publications

This report finds that growth strategies which fail to tackle poverty or climate change will prove to be unsustainable, and vice versa. A common denominator to the success of both agendas is infrastructure development. 

Momentum for a low-carbon economy is building, but much more needs to be done. International partnerships can help catalyse the economic growth and emissions reduction to get us there. The Global Commission makes 10 key recommendations in which partnerships can help deliver better growth and a better climate. 

This technical note sets out the analysis underpinning the emission reduction recommendations of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate’s 2015 report. It explains baseline scenarios and the estimate of the emissions required for a 2C pathway.

Countries at all income levels have the opportunity to build lasting economic growth and at the same time reduce the immense risk of climate change. But action is needed now. The Global Commission, advised by some of the world’s leading economists, sets out a ten point Global Action Plan for governments and businesses to secure better growth in a low-carbon economy. 

The New Climate Economy project has estimated the extent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions that could result by 2030 from undertaking some of the measures and actions discussed in our 2014 annual report Better Growth, Better Climate. We estimate the potential emission reductions of undertaking these measures that would narrow the gap between a baseline emissions pathway and one compatible with a two-thirds chance of keeping global average warming below 2°C by at least 50% in 2030

This note describes the Commission’s assessment of future infrastructure investment needs. It presents projections for a baseline scenario, and the estimated incremental investment required for a low-carbon scenario. It sets out the sources used and provides an overview of the estimates and modelling undertaken by the New Climate Economy (NCE) network. 

Shifting our fossil-fuelled civilisation to clean modes of production and consumption requires deep transformations in our energy and economic systems. Innovation in physical technologies and social behaviours is key to this transformation. But innovation has not been at the heart of economic models of climate change. This paper reviews the state of the art on the economics of innovation, applies recent insights to climate change. The core insight is that technological innovation is a path-dependent process in which history and expectations matter greatly in determining eventual outcomes 

This case study was conducted and written by NCE partner Tsinghua University. It shows how China can achieve economic development, energy security and reduce pollution at the same time.

This paper conducts a comparative analysis of the results of five studies that examined the economic case for investment in low-carbon development in five cities: Leeds in the UK, Kolkata in India, Lima in Peru, Johor Bahru in Malaysia and Palembang in Indonesia. 

This study is one of several in-country studies commissioned to support the research of the Global Commission on Energy and Climate, an international initiative to identify the economic benefits of acting on climate change. Its flagship project is the New Climate Economy, which identifies the opportunities for enhanced economic performance and climate action in urban, land use, and energy systems across a range of country circumstances.