88 . OECD / SECRETARY-GENERAL’S REPORT TO MINISTERS 2018
Environment Directorate The Environment Directorate (ENV) helps countries design and implement effective policies to address environmental problems and sustainably manage natural resources. It examines the linkages between the environment and economic, sectoral or social concerns in areas such as climate change, biodiversity, water, waste, resource efficiency, environmental taxes, genetically modified crop safety, agriculture, transport, trade, investment and development. ANTHONY COX Acting Director env.contact@oecd.org www.oecd.org/environment
In 2017, the Environment Directorate led a major project on the economic growth and investment implications of the transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. The resulting report, Investing in Climate, Investing in Growth, was recognised in the G20 Leaders’ Declaration that was adopted at the G20 summit in Hamburg in July of that year. This provided a strong endorsement of the message that climate and growth policies can go hand in hand.
@OECD_ENV Strong climate action should not be seen as a threat to growth. Rather, it is the foundation for our future economic well-being and prosperity. In the next five to ten years, governments have a window of opportunity to make the right policy choices for boosting growth and meeting climate goals.
The Directorate continues to focus on the social, environmental, economic and financial dimensions of the transition to low-carbon and resource-efficient economies. Particular attention is given to the role of green finance and investment, in addition to work on the macroeconomic implications of the transition to a circular economy. The 2017 edition of Green Growth Indicators was a key contribution, with enriched discussion of environmentally related taxes and subsidies, technology and innovation, and international financial flows. In 2018, the Directorate will continue its efforts to support countries in implementing the Paris Agreement, with a particular focus on ensuring that financial flows are consistent with the low-carbon transition. The design, use and disposal of sustainable plastics will also receive special attention, with outputs including a report on the secondary plastics market and a Global Forum on Plastics in a Circular Economy. n