Green Economy and Trade Opportunities

This study seeks to identify and assess the international trade opportunities associated with the transition to a green economy, and in particular how developing countries can increase exports to respond to international demand for environmentally‐friendly goods and services. The study focuses on six key economic sectors considered to have a high potential to generate trade opportunities while contributing to the transition to a green economy: agriculture, fisheries, forests, manufacturing, renewable energy, and tourism. The study highlights that significant untapped trade opportunities exist and are expected to continue to expand in the future. In particular, export markets for green and sustainable food, products, services, energy and tourism, are expected to grow rapidly due to changing consumer preferences as the world becomes more environmentally aware. It is crucial to identify these trade opportunities, together with the policy reforms that can promote and strengthen developing countries’ capacity to benefit from them.