Transition lessons: going green as a development strategy

The transformation required if a low-carbon green Asia is to be achieved entails many challenges to economic policy-makers. But it also opens up many opportunities to build more innovative, more sustainable, more resilient and more socially inclusive economies. This potential means that ‘going green’ can strongly boost countries’ economic development, if policies are well-designed. Just as cutting greenhouse gases can generate ‘co-benefits’ from reduced local pollution, there are potential co-benefits for economic growth and well-being from tackling a broad range of environmental problems – if the right tools and incentives are put in place.