Since the last update in April 2021, recovery measures with positive impacts on the environment have increased significantly, both in terms of number and budget. However spending on environmentally positive measures still represents only 21% of total COVID-19 recovery spending (up from 17%) with environmentally negative and mixed measures accounting for 10%. Furthermore, ongoing annual support to fossil fuels will likely surpass all the one-off green recovery spending in the next couple of years and undermine efforts to meet the Paris climate goals. Skills development and innovation are still insufficiently addressed in green recovery plans, even though they are essential for achieving a rapid and just transition to net-zero emissions.
