Design and implementation of a climate resilient green economy strategy

The Ethiopia Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) Strategy was published in 2011, based on the vision set by the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. The vision is for Ethiopia to develop a climate-resilient green economy and to attain middle-income status by 2025. The country plans to follow a green economy pathway that fosters sustainable development.

The CRGE is based on four pillars: agriculture; forestry; power; and transport, industrial sectors and infrastructure. The CRGE strategy adopts a sectoral approach across six government ministries with more than sixty initiatives to be implemented. An estimated USD 150 billion is required to deliver this over a period of twenty years. The green growth pathway envisages limiting national greenhouse gas emission levels to 150 MtCO2e instead of 400 MtCO2e/a in 2030 under business as usual (BAU) scenario.

The CRGE has facilitated the setting of national targets, the creation of a dedicated financing facility, registry and MRV system, the identification of sixty sectoral initiatives and is setting an example to neighbouring African nations and other countries internationally as an early example of a national green growth strategy.