經濟學者與聯合國19日發布一份政策簡報，建議將全球財富的1%，大約75億美元，投資於再生能源及淡水資源等五個主要區塊，便能刺激全球綠色新政。然而，國際貨幣基金組織同一日發表的另一份評估報告，指出2009年全球經濟活動預期將會緊縮0.5%到1%。
聯合國政策簡報的發表，適逢G20領袖會議即將於4月2日在倫敦召開之前。簡報內容提及，「達到經濟實際成長、對抗氣候變遷並促進工作榮景的最好選擇，就是動員和重新聚焦全球經濟，使其轉向潔淨科技及森林與土壤等自然基礎設施的投資。」五大建議投資區塊分別為：
- 老舊與新建大樓的能源效率提升。
- 風力、太陽能、地熱及生質能等再生能源。
- 永續運輸，包括混合動力車、高速鐵路及迅速的公車轉乘系統。
- 淡水、森林、土壤及珊瑚礁等地球生態的基礎建設。
- 以有機食品為主的永續農業。
該簡報針對G20工業國中，由美國、中國、德國、印度、俄羅斯及沙烏地阿拉伯等經濟體提出的3兆鉅額資金振興方案，詳述了將該筆資金投資於五大區塊後對多元化經濟、環境與社會所能產生的效益。
聯合國環境規劃署執行長史坦納（Achim Steiner）表示，「G20會議得成為這項投資的一個契機，將焦點關注在眼前面臨的危機、氣候變遷問題、自然資源缺乏及未來十年將近20億失業或半失業人口所導致的就業率偏低問題上。」
「以建築物例，用現代科技來考量成本效益的話，建築物的能源使用量已減少80%。而針對此區塊的其他投資部分，不只能復甦建築產物及相關產業，同時也會創造1000萬個工作機會。」史坦納表示，「單是歐洲與美國估計大約能產生200到350萬個綠色工作機會，而在發展中國家創造的工作機會甚至會更多。」
史坦納說道，「針對未來幾個月和接連2至4年所規劃的大規模振興投資方案，是轉變成為一個少量碳排放並有效率使用能源的社會的大好機會。所以不應錯失這個良機。」
Investing one percent of global wealth, or around $750 billion, into five key sectors from renewable energy to freshwaters would stimulate a Global Green New Deal, advises a policy brief released today by economists and the United Nations. But in a separate assessment today, the International Monetary Fund projects that global economic activity will shrink by one-half to one percent this year.
Issued in advance of the G20 meeting of world leaders in London on April 2, the UN brief says that mobilizing and refocusing the global economy towards investments in clean technologies and natural infrastructure such as forests and soils is the best bet for real growth, combating climate change and triggering an employment boom.
The five recommdned areas of investment are:
- Raising the energy efficiency of old and new buildings
- Renewable energies - wind, solar, geothermal and biomass
- Sustainable transport - hybrid vehicles; high speed rail and bus rapid transit systems
- The planet's ecological infrastructure - freshwaters, forests, soils and coral reefs
- Sustainable agriculture, including organic production
The report details the multiple economic, environmental and social benefits of investing a significant amount of the $3 trillion worth of stimulus packages being provided by most G-20 industrialized and emerging market economies - including the United States, China, Germany, India, Russia, and Saudi Arabia - in these five areas.
Achim Steiner, who heads the UN Environment Programme said, "The G20 meeting needs to be a milestone in terms of focusing investments that address the crises of today and those emerging from climate change, natural resource scarcity and lack of decent employment for close to two billion unemployed or underemployed people over the coming decade."
"Take energy use in buildings. It can already be cut by 80 percent in a cost-effective manner using existing technologies. Additional investments in this sector would not only stimulate the recovery of the construction and allied industries but also generate tens of millions of jobs.
"An estimated two million to 3.5 million green jobs could be generated in Europe and the United States alone with an even higher potential in developing countries," he said.
"The large scale stimulus investments planned over the coming months and the next two to four years represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a transition to a low carbon, resource efficient society. This opportunity must not be lost," said Steiner.
