About this Discussion

Green growth provides a means by which economic, environmental and social goals can be simultaneously achieved. It presents an opportunity to make existing industries more sustainable while at the same time encouraging new industries and a diversified economy. 

Achieving a green and inclusive economy will be critical for tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. SMEs will play an indispensable role in achieving this economic transformation due to the large share of global business they represent. Accounting for about 99% of enterprises in OECD countries, SMEs also employ a significant share of people, especially in low-income countries, where they contribute to, on average, 78% of employment compared to 65% in high-income countries.  

Due to their large numbers, the very diverse nature of their businesses and their typically small number of employees, the barriers to greening the operations of SMEs are generally more complicated to overcome than those for larger companies.

Industry and Entrepreneurship

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UN Global Compact

Join the first webinar in UN Global Compact's ‘Blue Road towards COP26’ series to learn about Accelerating Sustainable Seafood. Hear about the needs of the different parts of the seafood value chain to enable a market pull for sustainable seafood. This meeting will bring together… Read More

Lots of podcasts to catchup on this weekend! Some brand new, some from the last month but still in my queue...
* The Tribe that's Moving Earth (and Water) to Solve the Climate Crisis (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3OTOIXovYSnpgduXsrn6Ar?si=NcQmha3XTnuz…)
* Carbon capture: ecological sideshow or saviour? (https://open.spotify.com/episode/2KVyALoeRQt9tEp8dyjkmU)
* Designing a circular economy for fashion (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-circular-economy-show/id11167…)
* The Green Renaissance: Ep2 - From Soundbite to Action (https://soundcloud.com/user-450520868/episode-2-from-soundbite-to-action)

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/3OTOIXovYSnpgduXsrn6Ar?si=NcQmha3XTnuzofG5TL38DQ&mc_cid=cca...

UNEP publishes new study, "Adapt to Survive: Businesss transformation in a time of uncertainty" with six key actions business should take to find long-term success

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https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/32630/G4B.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

State-level climate action is also ramping up in the United States, including with new legislation in New Mexico that will curb climate pollution, create jobs and prioritize a just transition

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https://www.edf.org/media/new-mexico-legislation-will-curb-climate-pollution-create-jobs-and-priorit...
United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP)

The age of ‘business as usual’ is over. Organisations from across the economic landscape need their efforts towards environmental sustainability coupled with wholesale economic and societal change. The COVID-19 pandemic has already had a profound impact on corporate governance, and the global… Read More

Companies need to advocate for science-based public policy and regulations on water management issues at the local, state and national levels. This includes but is not limited to science-based allocations and discharge limits, infrastructure funding and efforts aimed at maximizing local water supplies.

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https://www.greenbiz.com/article/future-corporate-water-action

Morocco has launched a new $100 million Green Growth program to support SMEs in greening their production processes. This features as part of their 2021-2023 industrial recovery plan.

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https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/01/333483/morocco-launches-program-to-boost-industrial-green-t...

If you haven't seen it already definitely worth checking out the MIT Technology Review's Green Future Index which ranks the progress and commitment of 76 countries toward building a low carbon future.

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https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/01/25/1016648/green-future-index/

As cleaner energy alternatives continue to replace fossil fuels, a large-scale federal #JustTransition policy with funding for retraining and relocation is needed in the United States. Rehabilitating abandoned coal mines, which requires a sizable and well-trained workforce, can be a key component.

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https://www.wri.org/blog/2021/01/clean-energy-transition-fossil-fuel-workers-us

New research from World Economic Forum highlighting the game-changing opportunities for corporate climate action by focusing on decarbonizing supply chains and major actions that companies can take to engage suppliers and decarbonize their end-to-end supply chain.

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https://www.weforum.org/press/2021/01/supply-chains-decarbonization-offers-game-changing-opportunity...