Countries are progressing too slowly on green growth, says OECD.
No country is performing well on all green growth dimensions and most of the countries studied are yet to fully disconnect economic growth from fossil fuel use Most countries show progress on just one or two fronts and little on the others Less than one in three OECD countries meet WHO air quality guidelines for fine particulate matter and pollution levels are high and rising in China and India.
Denmark, Estonia, the United Kingdom, Italy and the Slovak Republic have made the most progress on green growth since 2000 Many countries have become more efficient in using natural resources and the services provided by the environment, generating more economic output per unit of carbon emitted and of energy or raw materials consumed.
Yet progress is too slow, and if emissions embodied in international trade are included, advances in environmental productivity are more modest, a new OECD report shows.
Green Growth Indicators 2017 uses a range of indicators covering everything from land use to CO2 productivity and innovation to show where 46 countries rank on balancing economic growth with environmental pressures over 1990 to 2015.
The report shows that no country is performing well on all green growth dimensions and most of the countries studied are yet to fully disconnect economic growth from fossil fuel use and pollutant emissions.
Switzerland and Sweden showed the highest level of carbon productivity, while the Slovak Republic, Latvia and Poland all reduced CO2 emissions as GDP rose.
Buildings cover 30% more land now than in 1990.
Globally, an area the size of the UK has been converted to buildings since 1990.
About 90% of green technologies originate in OECD countries, but the contributions of China and India are rising fast.