Main Navigation
PAGE & Inclusive Green Recovery
COVID-19: Greening the Economic Recovery
In the spirit of the United Nations Cooperation Framework, PAGE works as one — across five UN agencies, with embedded National Coordinators, government focal points, and essential connections to UN Resident Coordinators (UNRCs). In 2020, collaboration was strengthened as responsive and forward-looking socio-economic planning to recover from the impacts of COVID-19 became paramount. Beyond enhanced collaboration between the PAGE partners, PAGE also actively engaged on the high-level across the UN system to inform the global UN response to COVID-19.
Globally, PAGE contributed to the development and incorporation of environmental sustainability and green economy thinking into guiding UN documents: A UN framework for the immediate socio-economic response to COVID-19; the UN Sustainable Development Group’s (UNSDG) guidance note to UN Country Teams on Economic Transformation; The UN Secretary General’s Policy Brief on The World of Work and COVID-19; and the Report of the UN Economist Network for the UN 75th Anniversary: Shaping the Trends of Our Time.
Throughout 2020, assessment, monitoring and engagement across partners culminated in commitments for targeted green recovery support for 14 countries, with work beginning in 2021. This specific support mechanism is in addition and complementary to ongoing PAGE work in these countries and the additional funding was made possible through a contribution of US$ 7 million from the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany.
Nardos Bekele-Thomas, UN Resident Coordinator, South Africa
"It is now a question of setting a course that ensures we do not return to business as usual after the pandemic and that we instead make a genuine recovery that supports a viable, climate-friendly and environmentally sound economy and society. The Coronavirus crisis shows us very emphatically that we must better protect the natural foundations of life and biodiversity now in order to improve protection against future pandemics. After all, the destruction of nature is the crisis behind the crisis.
The goal must be to build a broad alliance for social and ecological progress. For example, investments in renewable energy, green mobility and climate-friendly industrial processes support climate action, innovation and jobs at the same time. Our guiding principle is not to go back to the old world, but to work towards a better world with more resilient and climate-friendly economies."
How We Worked as One in 2020
The COVID-19 crisis touched many aspects of life across the world. The first priority of PAGE was to stay connected to all the members of the Partnership, reinforcing a level of support that extends beyond regular work. This involved greater dialogue, focused task teams, embracing inter-agency collaboration and promoting capacity-building and learning opportunities and began with a statement of fellowship and hope for our collective future from the PAGE Management Board.
Subsequently, PAGE enhanced collaboration on all levels and strengthened the existing bonds throughout its various bodies — between the PAGE Funding Partners, Management Board, Global Technical Team, Country Teams and the PAGE Secretariat. This enhanced connection aided the speed and success of the COVID-19 response within the Partnership. Below are key examples of the ways in which this deepened support unfolded.
PAGE Family Gatherings
PAGE began these informal monthly virtual meetings between the PAGE National Coordinators, partner agencies and Secretariat to initially take stock of country impacts from COVID-19 and support a partnership-wide adjustment to new realities in April 2020. Met with overwhelming enthusiasm and engagement, the series has grown into a regular dialogue and platform for PAGE counterparts to share best practices, discuss challenges and promote peer-to-peer learning, removing geographical barriers and strengthening ties.
COVID-19 Task Team and High-level Coordination
The COVID-19 Task Team, comprised of PAGE Steering Committee and Management Board members, was formed in April 2020 to help assess the initial impacts of COVID-19 and assist in shaping the PAGE response. The strategic guidance provided by the Task Team enabled PAGE to act rapidly and with flexibility, developing its response and support in close coordination with PAGE country teams and UN Resident Coordinators.
COVID-19 Resource Hub
As part of an ongoing effort to support PAGE Partner Countries, the PAGE COVID-19 Hub was first developed in May 2020 to offer relevant news and academic articles on green economic recoveries. The aim was, ultimately, to arm PAGE partners and national teams with global information and resources that could support informed thinking and decision making leading to long-term, sustainable recovery in a post-COVID-19 world.
PAGE Data Observatory
Closing following the development of the COVID-19 resource hub, the PAGE Data Observatory was developed to track socio-economic and health impacts from COVID-19, track policy responses and assess potential focus areas for green recovery in PAGE Countries. The information provided, for example, includes data and projections on GDP growth, trade, manufacturing and air quality. It also includes tracking on green economy progress in partner countries by using selected indicators from The Green Economy Progress (GEP) Measurement Framework and its Dashboard of Sustainability.
Green Recovery Podcast Series
While the green recovery learning campaign focused primarily on policymakers, under the leadership of UNITAR, PAGE developed a global podcast series, The Green Renaissance, engaging speakers both within and outside the UN system, aimed at informing the public debate on matters related to inclusive green economic recovery moving forward from the COVID-19 pandemic. Launched in November 2020, this project will carry through the course of 2021.
Four Analytical Tools to Support Recovery Efforts
PAGE leveraged existing tools and services in 2020 to support governments in the creation of their respective economic recovery efforts — knowing that smart recovery policies and investments are integral for sustainable, long-term inclusive green economy transformations. Specifically, these tools were designed to aid economic policymaking, which can explicitly support economic recovery options, by guiding analysis, promoting green jobs and fostering sustainable investments and business models.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP
PAGE Thematic Briefs
In addition to monitoring the global socio-economic response to COVID-19 and addressing impacts in PAGE Partner Countries, PAGE published several thematic briefs to aid the discourse on the need for a green and inclusive economic recovery.
Gita Sabharwal, UN Resident Coordinator, Thailand
Country-Specific Support for Green Economic Recovery
PAGE's additional support to select partner countries — aimed at fostering inclusive and green economic recoveries — is the result of the multifaceted efforts mentioned above. The additional work is complementary to the ongoing support in each country.
Mongolia
Promoting Nature-based Solutions and Economic Diversification Through the Community-based Eco-tourism Sector
PAGE will support Mongolia to develop a roadmap, national standards and an investment plan to further develop the community-based eco-tourism sector, […]
Promoting Nature-based Solutions and Economic Diversification Through the Community-based Eco-tourism Sector
A Traditional Mongolian Ger Camp PAGE will support Mongolia to develop a roadmap, national standards and an investment plan to further develop the community-based eco-tourism sector, which is particularly relevant to vulnerable women and low-skilled youth. PAGE will conduct a market assessment to identify gaps and opportunities for promoting sector growth and decent job creation; establish mechanisms for facilitating public-private collaboration; develop sustainability and green/eco-tourism business criteria and service standards; and enhance the capacity of local institutions to train SMEs, youth entrepreneurs, and community-based groups in green business standards and development.
Senegal
Embedding Green Economy Principles Within Ongoing Economic Recovery Processes
PAGE support to Senegal will aid in embedding green economy principles within ongoing economic recovery processes, notably the adjustment of the Priority Action Plan […]
Embedding Green Economy Principles Within Ongoing Economic Recovery Processes
Dakar, Senegal In Senegal, PAGE will aid in embedding green economy principles within ongoing economic recovery processes, notably the adjustment of the Priority Action Plan of the second phase of the Plan Senegal Emergent Priority Action Programme (PAP). To inform the process, PAGE will be partnering with the Economic, Social and Environment Council to develop a green recovery strategic orientation document focused on green taxation, sustainable public procurement, and youth entrepreneurship. Stakeholders and the media will also be mobilized in the dissemination of the policy orientation document and green recovery response measures. Additionally, and in line with Senegal’s recovery plans, PAGE will provide technical support to sectoral programmes targeting the sustainable management of forests and the plastics recycling sector, as well as in the development of a sustainable public procurement system to further support the greening of the recovery.
Ghana
Green Economic Recovery Through Green Finance, Fiscal Policies and Green Business Innovation
PAGE will support Ghana to strengthen the enabling environment to facilitate greater public and private green finance. […]
Green Economic Recovery Through Green Finance, Fiscal Policies and Green Business Innovation
Cocoa harvest, Ghana PAGE will support Ghana to strengthen the enabling environment to facilitate greater public and private green finance. PAGE activities will identify opportunities to support green fiscal policies and tax and regulatory regimes that promote employment and disincentivize polluting activities, and will support new business opportunities emerging from the crisis. PAGE will also work to integrate green recovery policies into the sub-national recovery plans and facilitate capacity development for enterprises in resource efficiency and sustainable production principles under the 1 District 1 Factory (1D1F) government policy on to build back better from COVID-19.
Mauritius
Creating an Enabling Environment and Incentives to Boost SMEs from the Sustainable Agro-Processing Industry
Strengthening the enabling environment and developing incentive measures for promoting a sustainable agro-processing industry and SME development will be the green recovery focus areas of PAGE support […]
Creating an Enabling Environment and Incentives to Boost SMEs from the Sustainable Agro-Processing Industry
Sugarcane fields near Mt. Rempart, Mauritius Strengthening the enabling environment and developing incentive measures for promoting a sustainable agro-processing industry and SME development will be the green recovery focus areas of PAGE support in Mauritius. This will start with a macroeconomic modelling exercise to forecast green jobs in the agriculture and food sectors and assess the impacts of the economic stimulus on the recovery of the sector. PAGE will also assist in the development of a rapid assessment diagnostic toolkit for scaling up public and private finance for nature-based solutions and climate-smart agriculture to support sustainable food systems; inform the development of the Farm to Fork Strategy in the context of COVID-19 recovery; and support the revision of current operational guidance and regulations to reduce environmental impacts resulting from the use of single–use plastics in food packaging, food waste and chemicals. Capacity-building programmes on new food management safety protocols will also target enterprises in the hospitality and food sectors.
Burkina Faso
Green Recovery Through Fiscal Policy Measures to Support Sustainable Tourism
Burkina Faso’s green economic recovery will be supported by PAGE through a focus on the design and implementation of fiscal measures for […]
Green Recovery Through Fiscal Policy Measures to Support Sustainable Tourism
Grand Mosque of Bobo-Dioulasso Burkina Faso’s green economic recovery will be supported by PAGE through a focus on the design and implementation of fiscal measures for promoting sustainable recovery of the tourism sector. The work will reinforce the implementation of the National Strategy and Action Plan for Sustainable Tourism. PAGE will help evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on business in the tourism sector to inform interventions that involve designing and implementing incentives and fiscal measures to support business recovery in the tourism sector; assessing ex-ante the impacts of different policy and incentive measure options through economic modelling; and establishing a monitoring and evaluation system to measure the progress of activities implemented in the framework of the National Strategy and Action Plan for Sustainable Tourism. In addition, PAGE will work with the government to institutionalize the use of economic modelling methodologies, as well as produce a communication plan to further disseminate information regarding the initiatives implemented to support the sustainable recovery of the tourism sector.
South Africa
Mitigating the Socio-economic Impact and Supporting Green Economic Opportunities in Key Sectors
Specific technical assistance will lead PAGE support to the greening of South Africa’s COVID-19 economic recovery packages. The focus […]
Mitigating the Socio-economic Impact and Supporting Green Economic Opportunities in Key Sectors
Church Square, Pretoria Specific technical assistance will lead PAGE support to the greening of South Africa’s COVID-19 economic recovery packages. The focus will be on mainstreaming and supporting green economic opportunities in key economic sectors to mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. Activities include training the National Treasury and other national partners on macroeconomic modeling to assess the social and employment impacts of policy responses; mobilizing stakeholders through dialogue and media promotion on the national economic recovery plan as well as sectoral economic recovery plans; and building the capacity of public and private institutions — including business development service providers, national learning institutions, civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders — to promote green entrepreneurship and small business recovery.
Mato Grosso, Brazil
Greening the “State Plan for Family Agriculture”
PAGE green recovery support in Mato Grosso seeks to green the government’s ‘State Plan for Family Agriculture’, which aims […]
Greening the “State Plan for Family Agriculture”
Soybean planting, Mato Grosso PAGE green recovery support in Mato Grosso seeks to green the government’s ‘State Plan for Family Agriculture’, which aims at putting in place economic incentives and inclusive sectoral policies and plans that promote “leave no one behind”, innovation, climate change resilience, and biodiversity conservation. This includes assessing the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 on family agriculture and small farm production, particularly for vulnerable groups, facilitating financial access for small farmers, and developing a land-use management system for rural settlements. The creation and roll-out of a communication campaign will also be included in this work to increase awareness of the multiple benefits of a green recovery in the agriculture sector and to help establish an integrated training programme for the development of resilient business models in the agriculture sector that are aligned with green economy principles.
Kyrgyz Republic
Enhancing the Sustainability and Growth of MSMEs and Mobilizing Green Investments
PAGE will support the Kyrgyz Republic on creating a policy enabling environment for enhancing the sustainability and growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as […]
Enhancing the Sustainability and Growth of MSMEs and Mobilizing Green Investments
Marketplace in Bishkek PAGE will support the Kyrgyz Republic on creating a policy enabling environment for enhancing the sustainability and growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as a key avenue for a green recovery. Policy scenario analyses will draw policy recommendations for promoting employment, improving job quality, and stimulating MSME development. Policy recommendations will aim to increase coherence between employment, social, economic and environmental policies. Additionally, the work will include the establishment of the National Green Investment and Credit Fund – envisaged under the Green Economy Development Program of Kyrgyz Republic and adopted in 2020 by the government with the support of PAGE — in an effort to mobilize public and private finance for greening the economic recovery. The development and implementation of a communication strategy will aim to inform the wider public and strengthen collective ownership of green solutions.
Uruguay
Supporting a Green Recovery of the Food and Food Services Sectors, Particularly for SMEs
Within Uruguay, PAGE assistance will focus on promoting a green recovery of the food and food services sectors, particularly for SMEs, through strengthening the enabling environment […]
Supporting a Green Recovery of the Food and Food Services Sectors, Particularly for SMEs
Cattle herding, Tacuarembo, Uruguay — cattle meat and milk are among the country’s main agricultural products Within Uruguay, PAGE assistance will focus on promoting a green recovery of the food and food services sectors, particularly for SMEs, through strengthening the enabling environment for sustainable consumption and production in food system SMEs within the green recovery. Activities will assess and identify market opportunities and barriers to recovery, education gaps, and prospects for green employment generation in the food and food services sectors; and develop an action plan and circular economy strategy to promote sustainable growth of the food and food services sector. PAGE will also support the digitalization of business processes of SMEs in the food industry and organize knowledge-sharing and training events on green chemistry and biotechnology in the food system.
Argentina
Greening Sectoral Plans Framed in the Nationally Determined Contributions
PAGE green recovery support in Argentina will strengthen the design and implementation of sectoral plans framed in the Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement […]
Greening Sectoral Plans Framed in the Nationally Determined Contributions
A Worker in Firmat, Argentina PAGE green recovery support in Argentina will strengthen the design and implementation of sectoral plans framed in the Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement, specifically for priority economic sectors that have high potential to aid in greening employment and production. PAGE will partner notably with the National Climate Change Cabinet — which includes the line ministries in charge of leading the development of economic stimulus — to develop sectoral green recovery scenarios and related sustainable industrial reconversion plans. This includes specific strategies for labour adaptation and employment promotion. The work will also include a capacity-building programme for political decision-makers and economic actors involved in climate change mitigation strategies, targeting an environmentally and socially sustainable recovery of the economy, and will facilitate the development of financial instruments and standards for supporting the implementation of the recovery policies.
Indonesia
Embedding Circular Economy into the ‘Building Back Better with Low Carbon Development Initiative’
Circular economy was identified as a key area for PAGE to assist Indonesia as part of the country’s efforts to promote a green recovery […]
Embedding Circular Economy into the ‘Building Back Better with Low Carbon Development Initiative’
Rows of solar panels in Bali, Indonesia Circular economy was identified as a key area for PAGE to assist Indonesia as part of the country’s efforts to promote a green recovery through its ‘Build Back Better with Low Carbon Development (B3-Low Carbon)’ initiative. PAGE will help assess the potential of circular economy to contribute to a green and inclusive economic recovery, inclusive of job creation, skills development, and resource efficiency improvements, and identify what fiscal and non-fiscal stimulus plans and policies will best foster private investment in circular economy. PAGE will also contribute to the development of a national policy and plan for promoting circular economy, which will inform the next National Medium-term Development Plan 2025-2029. An awareness-raising campaign on a green recovery and the circular economy for the general public and a targeted capacity-building programme on planning and budgeting for a green and inclusive recovery for government officials are also planned as part of PAGE support to Indonesia.
Kazakhstan
Informing the Development and Implementation of the Government’s Economic Recovery Plan and Policy Development
To support a green economic recovery in Kazakhstan, PAGE will focus on informing the government’s economic recovery plan and working with key line ministries […]
Informing the Development and Implementation of the Government’s Economic Recovery Plan and Policy Development
House of Ministries, Nur-Sultan To support a green economic recovery in Kazakhstan, PAGE will focus on informing the government’s economic recovery plan and working with key line ministries in the Green Economy Council, aiding the planning and implementation of related policies. This includes the mobilization of national policy experts and think tanks to support the Government in assessing the economic, social and environmental impacts of different policy options for a green recovery, potentially covering fiscal policy and trade, industry and SMEs, green jobs creation, emissions reduction, resource efficiency, and investment flows. Based on the findings of the assessment work, PAGE will make policy recommendations that best support a green economic recovery. Public awareness initiatives on a green economic recovery, such as a TV series and peer learning events, will facilitate an exchange of information and experiences on the importance of a green economic recovery. PAGE will also conduct workshops to build the capacity of key institutions in the use of modelling tools.
Barbados
Embedding Circular Economy in Recovery Consumption and Production Practices
To support a green recovery within Barbados, PAGE will focus on boosting the circular economy and promoting green consumption and production practices as central […]
Embedding Circular Economy in Recovery Consumption and Production Practices
Freight terminal in Bridgetown, Barbados To support a green recovery within Barbados, PAGE will focus on boosting the circular economy and promoting green consumption and production practices as a key way forward. Activities will consist of developing a 5Rs policy and legislative framework with a 3–year implementation plan; designing a programme to support MSMEs in integrating circular, resource-efficient and sustainable consumption and production practices; establishing a local business compact and facilitating dialogue on circular economy and resource efficiency with the private sector through the engagement with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and institutionalizing a capacity-building programme for the public sector on sustainable consumption and production. PAGE will also institute a youth civic engagement and education partnership programme to promote youth engagement and entrepreneurship in a green economic recovery.
Thailand
Developing a Framework for Greening the 400 billion Baht Rehabilitation Fund
PAGE will assist in the greening of Thailand’s economic and social recovery projects funded under the Government’s 400 billion Baht Rehabilitation Fund and […]
Developing a Framework for Greening the 400 billion Baht Rehabilitation Fund
Hydraulic turbines for water treatment, Bangkok PAGE will assist in the greening of Thailand’s economic and social recovery projects funded under the Government’s 400 billion Baht Rehabilitation Fund and support their alignment with key SDGs, NDCs, and/or other global sustainability frameworks. Activities include developing an evaluation framework for assessing the impacts of selected projects; providing policy advice for aligning recovery efforts with national targets on green jobs, resource and energy efficiency, climate change mitigation and adaptation, among others; facilitating public discourse on the evaluation results and policy implications; and strengthening of the capacity of relevant ministries and government agencies on a green and inclusive recovery as part of the Government’s recovery package.
