In this paper, we analyse the characteristics of 2020 COVID-19 spending using over 3,000 spending policies from the Global Recovery Observatory’s tracking of the fifty largest economies. At the time of writing, the largest window for green spending is only now opening, as nations shift attention from short-term rescue measures to recovery. Using examples from 2020 spending, we highlight five major green investment opportunities to be prioritised in 2021: green energy, green transport, green building upgrades & energy efficiency, natural capital, and green research and development.
