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The Conceptual Basis and Operational Implications of "Green Growth"

November 7, 2018

DECRG Kuala Lumpur Seminar Series

  • ¡°Green Growth¡± is a relatively recent and still somewhat amorphous concept. It can be understood in very general terms as balancing investments emphasizing nearer-term income growth to reduce poverty, and investments in sustaining longer-term environmental wealth.  Some proponents of Green Growth go further to emphasize the potential for strategically crafted environmental investments and policies to achieve sustainability at low cost, perhaps even to help stimulate nearer-term growth.  Standard economic theory on growth and environmental sustainability does not provide assurance of substantial positive spillovers from environmental policies to income growth, and it shows that the ¡°greenness¡± of an economically efficient growth path can depend substantially on the starting point for the economy. Factor-augmenting technical-change targeting at offsetting resource depletion is critical to sustaining long-term growth within natural limits on the availability of natural resources and environmental services. There are some plausible channels indicating a potential for more synergy between economic growth and environmental sustainability than implied by standard economic theory. These include spillover effects from environmental measures on the productivity of other productive factors; correction of pre-existing economic distortions; and economy-wide ¡°coordination failures¡± that can be linked to environmental sustainability. However, there is not enough empirical evidence yet available to confidently address their practical significance. Consequently, some claims of substantial win-win opportunities between growth and the environment may need to be tempered.

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    : Seminar will be live-streamed, allowing for online audience participation (only available during the seminar)

     

  • Michael Toman

    Michael Toman (Mike) is Lead Economist on Climate Change in the Development Research Group and Manager of the Energy and Environment and Agriculture and Rural Development Teams. His current research interests include alternative energy resources, policies for responding to risks of climate change catastrophes, timing of investments for greenhouse gas reduction, and mechanisms for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions through reduced deforestation. During his career Mike has done extensive research on climate change economics and policy, energy markets and policy, environmental policy instruments, and approaches to achieving sustainable development. Prior to joining the World Bank in fall 2008, he held senior analytical and management positions at RAND Corporation, Inter-American Development Bank, and Resources for the Future. His teaching experience includes adjunct positions at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the School of the Environment, University of California at Santa Barbara. Mike has a B.A. from Indiana University, a M.Sc. in applied mathematics from Brown University, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in economics from the University of Rochester.

DETAILS

  • WHEN: Wednesday, November 7, 2018; 4:00-5:30PM
  • WHERE: World Bank Malaysia Office, Level 3, Sasana Kijang, No. 2, Jalan Dato¡¯ Onn
  • RSVP: Kindly RSVP by Tuesday, November 6, 2018