The EMG Issue Management Group on Green Economy was established in 2009 to strengthen coherence across the UN system in supporting countries to transition towards a green economy. The Group was tasked with developing a common inter-agency perspective, identifying how different UN entities could contribute, and promoting consistent messaging and practical support for countries.
A major outcome was the 2011 report Working towards a Balanced and Inclusive Green Economy: A United Nations System-wide Perspective. Developed with contributions from 40 UN entities and Bretton Woods institutions, the report provided a common reference on the meaning and implications of a green economy and emphasized that the transition must integrate the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development. It highlighted the importance of investment in natural, human, social and physical capital, alongside enabling policies on finance, regulation, trade, technology and measurement. The report also served as an EMG contribution to preparations for the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20.
Following Rio+20, the IMG undertook a second phase of work focused on practical implementation. Its 2014 report, Green Economy Knowledge Products by UN Agencies and Partners, reviewed 122 knowledge products developed across the UN system and partner organizations, including policy tools, assessment methodologies, good practices, capacity-building resources and knowledge platforms. The stocktake aimed to make existing support more accessible to governments while identifying gaps, including limited attention to local implementation, private-sector engagement and social inclusion, and a need for stronger coordination across UN entities.
Through these two phases of work, the IMG helped build a shared UN understanding of the green economy and translated that common vision into a clearer overview of the practical tools and expertise available across the UN system to support countries in implementation.