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| Global Commission on the Economy and Climate | |
|---|---|
| Name | Global Commission on the Economy and Climate |
| Formation | 2013 |
| Type | International commission |
| Headquarters | Mexico City |
| Leader title | Co-chairs |
Global Commission on the Economy and Climate The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate was an international initiative linking high-profile leaders from politics, finance, academia, and civil society to analyze links between sustainable development, urbanization, and climate change. It produced policy-oriented reports advocating low-carbon growth pathways intended to inform negotiations such as United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and summits including the G20 and the United Nations General Assembly. Founding partners and commissioners included figures associated with World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Eliasch Review, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and national administrations in China, United States, and Mexico.
The Commission sought to synthesize evidence from institutions such as National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Energy Agency, McKinsey & Company, Rocky Mountain Institute, and academic centers like Harvard University, London School of Economics, Stanford University, and Tsinghua University. Its outputs targeted policymakers in forums such as United Nations Climate Change Conference, World Economic Forum, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and regional bodies like the African Union and European Commission. The initiative linked private-sector actors including HSBC, Goldman Sachs, and Siemens with public actors such as the Ministry of Finance (Mexico) and municipal governments in Shanghai, São Paulo, and Johannesburg.
Launched in 2013, the Commission was established with contributions from philanthropies like the Rockefeller Foundation and research groups including Overseas Development Institute and World Resources Institute. Its establishment followed dialogues at events involving figures from Chatham House, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Founding commissioners included former heads of state and ministers with careers linked to United Kingdom, Norway, Peru, Chile, and Indonesia, and drew on advisory input from economists associated with University of Oxford and Columbia University. Early convenings took place in capitals such as London, Beijing, and Mexico City and referenced precedents like the Stern Review and the Eliasch Review.
Major reports, notably "Better Growth, Better Climate", combined modeling from International Energy Agency, McKinsey Global Institute, and academic teams at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Cambridge. The Commission argued that investments in low-carbon infrastructure could be co-beneficial for air quality in cities like Delhi and Lima while reducing fiscal burdens identified by institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and Asian Development Bank. Findings often drew on case studies from Germany's Energiewende, Denmark's wind sector, the California Air Resources Board's regulations, and urban planning projects in Copenhagen and Singapore. Reports recommended policy mixes involving carbon pricing instruments similar to schemes in European Union Emissions Trading System, fuel-efficiency standards exemplified by United States Environmental Protection Agency rules, and subsidies reform mirrored by actions in Indonesia and Brazil.
The Commission's membership comprised former presidents, finance ministers, central bank governors, and corporate leaders associated with organizations such as Bank of England, Reserve Bank of India, World Economic Forum, and International Labour Organization. Governance structures included an executive secretariat staffed by experts seconded from New Climate Economy, ClimateWorks Foundation, and academic institutions including Yale University and Peking University. Commissioners were drawn from geographic regions represented by figures linked to Africa, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, and included influencers with prior roles at European Central Bank and national ministries like Ministry of the Environment (Chile).
The Commission influenced discourse at the Paris Agreement negotiations and contributed evidence cited by delegations from China, India, United Kingdom, and the United States. Its framing of "growth and climate" shaped policy discussions in national budgets overseen by finance ministries such as those in Mexico City and South Africa. Several recommendations paralleled reforms later adopted by multilateral development banks like the World Bank Group and regional lenders including the Inter-American Development Bank. The Commission's analyses were used by think tanks like Brookings Institution and International Institute for Environment and Development to advise municipal programs in Jakarta and Nairobi.
Critics associated with activist groups such as 350.org and policy analysts from Greenpeace argued the Commission was overly proximate to corporate sponsors including firms with ties to fossil fuel sectors and financial institutions like BlackRock and Citi. Academic critiques from scholars at University of Manchester and College of William & Mary questioned methodological assumptions in integrated assessment modeling used by partners like IIASA and MIT. Debates appeared in outlets affiliated with The Guardian, Financial Times, and The Economist, focusing on perceived tensions between growth-driven narratives and calls from movements represented at Conference of the Parties for more radical structural change. Some civil society organizations raised governance concerns about transparency and the influence of commissioners previously employed by energy companies such as BP and Shell.
Category:International commissions