Is green growth good for the poor?

DIIS project senior researcher Ian Christoplos contributed to the recent conference of the Poverty Reduction, Equity and Growth Network (PEGNet) at Copenhagen University.

He participated in a panel discussion on climate change financing where he stressed the importance of not only focusing on quantitative targets, but also looking at quality of support in relation to ensuring that a larger proportion of this financing is spent at sub-national levels (provinces, districts and municipalities). It is here where climate risks are most effectively addressed. Ian Christoplos also took part in the closing debate on whether or not green growth is good for the poor. He argued that there are dangers that the technologies being promoted in the name of green growth will have negative effects on the poor if we do not approach these from a human rights-based perspective, stressing the importance of poor people’s participation, transparency about trade-offs between growth and poverty alleviation, ensuring the accountability of public authorities and avoiding discrimination of marginalised groups such as pastoralists and those engaged in swidden agriculture.