Promoting poles of clean growth to foster the transition to a more sustainable economy

This UNCTAD publication covers policy responses to meeting the challenge of climate change and the changes to the economic system that need to take place in order to do so. The report asserts that the greatest challenge to mitigating climate change is not the macroeconomic costs, but the lack of policy, regulatory and institutional structures to support the shift to a more sustainable economy that combines low‐carbon growth with job and income creation in developing countries.

The report presents three overarching ‘growth poles’ that can provide opportunities for low carbon economic growth and place the global economy on a path to more sustainable development. These growth poles are:

• Energy efficiency

• Sustainable agriculture

• Renewable energy technologies

Each pole is explored in great detail and policy options for the identified initiatives are discussed.