The plan would be to invest 2% of global GDP into ten key sectors (agriculture, buildings, energy supply, fisheries, forestry, industry including energy efficiency, tourism, transport, waste management and water) in order to stimulate the transition towards a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy.

The sum needed to reach this goal is estimated at around $1.3 trillion a year and could be provided by forward-looking national and international policies, partly by using the funds which currently subsidize unsustainable resources use in sectors such as fossil fuels, agriculture - including pesticide subsidies, water and fisheries.

The transition should not hinder the growth of the global economy over the long term; indeed, it is expected to foster it, yet without risking the crises typical of the traditional economy.

The report sees a Green Economy as not only relevant to more developed economies but as a key catalyst for growth and poverty eradication in developing ones too, where in some cases close to 90 per cent of the GDP of the poor is linked to nature or its natural capital such as forests and freshwaters.

The study examines the various sectors in detail, discussing the advantages of the new policies and actions with the aim of motivating policy makers to undertake the building of a more sustainable planet.

To download the entire report please visit the UNEP website.