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History of the Global Green New Deal

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) first made the call for a Global Green New Deal (GGND) in 2009 when it published a report (written by economist Edward Barbier) and an accompanying policy brief. UNEP’s interventions primarily focused on the need for “green stimulus” in response to the Global Financial Crisis.

More recently, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has tried to build interest in the idea of a GGND. The UNCTAD initiative is important, given that there is a need to change the current global economic architecture to ensure that a GGND is possible. For example, Todd Tucker at the Roosevelt Institute has outlined the necessary changes to trade and investment law in a 2019 working paper.

In addition to the policy discussions initiated by international organizations, a group of experts has recently launched a book and website to explore what it would mean for the GND to be globally fair. The book covers a wide range of topics, including international trade and investment law, as well as the need for debt cancellation and reparations. This is also an issue that has been addressed by scholars such as Fadhel Kaboub.