74,000 +
overall enrollments
Global Action
PAGE drives global conversation to accelerate change towards building inclusive green economies. Events, platforms and knowledge products connect IGE champions throughout the world to share success stories and business cases, and drive coordination.
PAGE Informs
PAGE informs inclusive green economy transitions through technical advice, analysis and capacity building.
To further support countries in green recovery planning, PAGE engaged in a modelling exercise — comparing green versus brown economic recovery scenarios — in collaboration with Cambridge Econometrics. The modelling exercise was aimed at providing clear, evidence-based analysis using data to promote the benefits of green economy policies in Covid-19 recovery.
PAGE and Cambridge Econometrics released the final results from the joint modelling exercise. The modelling analyzed economic recovery options and focused on the specific approach in South Africa’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, analyzing the country’s spending plans and related multisectoral impacts. The analysis further offered an additional scenario with a ‘green push’ for the government’s consideration, through measures such as increased investment in renewables and decommissioning coal power plants. The findings highlighted that a ‘non-green’ recovery-focused solely on GDP and jobs would result in greater environmental degradation, while alternatively, green recovery policies could be, at minimum, as effective at boosting GDP and jobs.
This assessment was two-fold. First, it took a global outlook using the Cambridge Econometrics E3ME model with integration on biodiversity components provided by UNEP-WCMC, applied to 50 countries. This was followed by a more detailed assessment of two PAGE countries, South Africa and India, which included engagement with national stakeholders and offered deeper analyses of alternative policies to reach inclusive green economy objectives, such as within job gains, GDP and CO2 reductions.
UNEP and the University of Oxford developed the Global Recovery Observatory (GRO) in 2020 – a live database of all COVID-19-related government spending in the 89 largest economies, including more than 7,000 policies (as of Oct. 2021) and recorded spending announcements exceeding USD 16 trillion. The GRO tracks and assesses the potential impacts of COVID-19 spending policies on the environment and selected social and economic indicators – highlighting shortcomings in green recovery spending. Since 2021, PAGE invested in linking the GRO data to actionable policy support. PAGE partners will further add to the value of the GRO through the addition of a job impact assessment and refining the precision and coverage of natural capital impacts.
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 has carried on through the course of 2021, surpassing 5,000 total listens across more than 80 different countries.
The Green Renaissance: How to Rebuild the Global Economy podcast series unpacks the complex policy questions that will determine the fate of our economies, societies, and planet in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. PAGE released 12 monthly episodes throughout the year featuring voices from government, business, international organizations, civil society and youth groups. Each episode explores a different theme with relevant actors such as implementing a circular economy with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, addressing decent employment with the Peruvian Ministry of Labour, and assessing if we are “building back better” with Oxford University and the International Monetary Fund.
PAGE In 2021, PAGE was recognized in several key UN System documents and processes for its focus on transformational change and a ‘One UN’ interagency approach. The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ SDG Good Practices Initiative referred to PAGE as an inspiring example of SDG implementation. The UN University’s Beyond Opportunism: The UN Development System’s Response to the Triple Planetary Crisis publication recognized PAGE as a mechanism working “closely with RCs to make economic recovery planning a stepping stone for green and inclusive economic transformation to address the root causes of the Triple Planetary Crisis”
Adding to the UNEP publication on International Good Practice Principles for Sustainable Infrastructure, PAGE supported 10 case studies on Sustainable Infrastructure – Integrated Approaches in Action. Each case study illustrates one of 10 best practice principles — for example, Principle #3: Comprehensive Lifecycle Assessment of Sustainability and Principle #9: Transparent, Inclusive, and Participatory Decision-Making documenting integrated, systems-level approaches to sustainable infrastructure.
The case studies were released in February 2021 to coincide with UNEA-5, aiming to inspire policymakers for the impending wave of infrastructure spending. The case studies were disseminated through a monthly webinar series on Sustainable Infrastructure: Putting Principle into Practice, each focused on one of the ten principles.
Utilizing the Targeted Scenario Analysis (TSA) methodology developed by UNDP, a TSA Study on Ecuador’s artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector assessed the impact of two management scenarios within the sector – one which 100,000 people depend. Engaging with stakeholders from the private and public sectors, the study was developed to help decision-makers design and implement sustainable policies that incorporate the value of ecosystem services. The results of the study show that artisanal miners, processing plants, laboratories and the government could see significant gains if miners sell their ore to small-scale mining plants that use appropriate mercury-free processes.
Green Recoveries for a Job Rich Future at HLPF 2021
PAGE Inspires
Through global and regional events stakeholders are able to share knowledge, exchange ideas and learn best practices from one another. These forums inspire discourse and action on Inclusive Green Economy.
Held on 9 July 2021, PAGE’s side-event at the High-Level Political Forum, Green Recoveries for a Job-Rich Future, brought together leaders from the United Nations and national governments to discuss the realities of linking COVID-19 recovery with long-term sustainable development in the context of green job growth. The discussion focused on grasping the opportunity to turn economic recovery into economic transformation — building resilient economies that account for planet and people. Each speaker noted the crucial need to make this green economy transformation just and with benefits for the whole society, while understanding the connections between current global crises.
The ILO Green Week 2021 brought together innovators, business leaders, policy experts and environmental practitioners from around the globe to explore ‘green future of work’ and related pathways. PAGE contributed to the opening session with an overview of how the partnership is supporting its partner countries through assessing, monitoring and mitigating the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, highlighting South Africa’s medium- to long-term recovery planning as a case study.
The Latin America Green Awards (Premios Latinoamérica Verdes – PLV) is an annual event organized by Fundación Latinoamérica Verde to award the best socio-environmental projects in Latin America. PLV has partnered with PAGE to train entrepreneurs with a Skills Strengthening Programme for the fourth consecutive year and a Journalist’s Workshop for the second year in a row. The Skills Strengthening Programme was completed by approximately 862 people, from 19 countries, helping them to improve and fund their projects. The 2021 journalists’ workshop ‘Environmental Journalism and SDGs: What to report when resources run out?’, emphasized that media and communication professionals are essential channels and allies to inform, sensitize and raise awareness among the citizens.
Starting in early 2020, PAGE organized informal monthly virtual meetings between the PAGE National Coordinators, partner agencies and the Secretariat to take stock of country impacts from COVID-19 and support a partnership-wide adjustment. Continuing into 2021, the series grew into a regular dialogue and platform for PAGE counterparts to share best practices, discuss challenges and promote peer-to-peer learning in areas including green recovery, communications, outreach and partnerships – removing geographical barriers and strengthening ties across and between regions.
PAGE Enables
By providing global and regional training and learning programmes, PAGE strengthens the capacity of individuals, government and institutions — developing expertise and enabling them to put inclusive green economy principles into practice.
With a packed agenda, the PAGE Global Green Academy was held over two weeks in May 2021, engaging 78 speakers across 11 plenary sessions and 8 technical sessions — presented in three languages — for 120 participants from 29 countries. The Academy was capped by a Knowledge Fair, where PAGE countries were able to share experiences and best practices in virtual booths, offering an opportunity for peer learning and exchange. In its 4th edition, the interactive Academy allowed experts and leaders to deep dive into key topics on green economy focused on green recovery plans, just transition, financing mechanisms, budgeting tools, among others. The event enhanced real-time and real-world experience and knowledge sharing for policymakers to gain essential insight and support in their respective recovery agendas.
PAGE organized a series of digital peer-learning exchanges in 2021 to provide a space for PAGE countries, agencies, and funding partners to exchange informally on successful approaches in green economy transformation and identify opportunities for collaboration. Sharing first-hand experiences between countries can inform and contribute to real-life policy processes, facilitate the replication of green recovery policies and projects, and scale up collaboration and innovation. The peer learning events were demand-driven, each one focusing on a thematic area of interest to participating parties. Among others, exchanges were held between Mongolia and the Kyrgyz Republic, focused on the development of sustainable finance mechanisms; India and Indonesia on green economy learning; and Ghana and Senegal on sustainable public procurement.
PAGE’s e-learning portfolio has grown significantly in terms of scope and reach. Today, learners can educate themselves for free, and get certified, in seven peer-reviewed e-courses in up to nine languages. Over the past three years, PAGE e-courses reached 74,000 people from all over the world (approx. half from PAGE partner countries) and awarded more than 15,000 certificates of completion. 40% of participants are from PAGE countries with positive gender balance (50/50). 92% are reporting that they are using what they have learned in their jobs. PAGE courses are hosted at the UN CC:e-Learn platform, the single largest learning platform dedicated to green economy and climate change with more than half a million learners. Currently the following courses are available
UN:CC Learn Green Recovery E-learning
At the end of 2021, PAGE surveyed graduates who completed one of its six e-courses available on the UN:CC Learn platform to gain a better understanding of the impact.
- 15,000 +
certificates issued
15,000+
certificates issued
- 92 %
of learners report applying the knowledge and skills learned in their jobs
92%
of learners report applying the knowledge and skills learned in their jobs
- 86 %
of learners said the content of the modules is relevant to their respective career
86%
of learners said the content of the modules is relevant to their respective career