Building a green economy? The politics of green infrastructure stimulus in the wake of the global financial crisis

Following the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), many governments allocated a substantial proportion of their fiscal stimulus package to green infrastructure projects. Spending on green infrastructure was promoted as 'win-win': good for the economy, good for the environment. With a focus on the implications for environmental policy, this project: a) unpacks green stimulus and investigates why it emerged in the wake of the GFC; (b) compares the 2008/9 green stimulus packages of 5 countries and the European Union; and (c) determines what factors account for the variation in size and scope of these packages. The study will offer key lessons for policy-makers about where to direct public investment to reduce the carbon intensity of their economies.