Giving Compass' Take:

• A report from the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate reveals that taking climate change seriously could produce $26 trillion for the global economy. 

• How can funders support sustainable businesses?  

• Learn how one accelerator is boosting sustainable startups. 

For many years, a common narrative has been that investing in clean energy and mitigating climate change would cost jobs and hinder economic growth.

A group of analysts wants to finally put that myth to rest.

The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate released a report that shows that the global economy stands to gain $26 trillion if climate change is taken seriously.

“We are at a unique 'use it or lose it' moment,” Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former finance minister of Nigeria and co-chair of the Global Commission, said in a statement. “Policy makers should take their feet off the brakes, send a clear signal that the new growth story is here and that it comes with exciting economic and market opportunities. $26 trillion and a more sustainable planet are on offer, if we act decisively now.”

The report argues that investments in cleaner energy, efficient cities, and sustainable resource management can generate 65 million jobs and prevent 700,000 premature deaths from air pollution by 2030.

The authors also found that an annual $2.8 trillion in government revenue would be generated simply by getting rid of fossil fuel subsidies and enacting carbon pricing measures that take into account the external costs of fossil fuel emissions.

Read the full article about fighting climate change by Joe McCarthy at Global Citizen.