New report highlights path to USD7-trillion by 2030. This is part two of a two-part series.
Supplied by BCG
Green growth is increasingly spearheaded by China. In 2024 alone, the country invested USD659-billion in clean energy, more than 50% above the next largest investor. It leads the world in solar, wind, battery manufacturing, and green tech patents, and is driving global supply chains for low-carbon technologies. While Europe and the US retain innovation leadership in certain areas, China’s scale, co-ordination, and industrial policy are shifting the balance.
CEO Guide: how to win in the green economy. To help leaders navigate this fast-evolving landscape, the report outlines a ‘CEO Guide’ based on 14 case studies on market leaders from the World Economic Forum’s Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders. Successful companies, it argues, master the fundamentals of ensuring a clear purpose and strategy, a strong value proposition that doesn’t just hinge on being green, and an agile operating model. To not only succeed but win, the report then identifies three additional, critical growth accelerators:
- Technology maturity and cost efficiency. Leading companies push cost curves down through scale and innovation, avoiding long-term reliance on green premiums.
- Regulatory shaping and ecosystem building. Winning companies work closely with regulators, build early-market demand, and form partnerships to scale new standards and infrastructure.
- Access to smart, diversified capital. Success comes from tapping into a range of funding sources, from public subsidies and development finance to institutional capital and equity partners.
African corporates are leading by example. Morocco’s OCP Group demonstrates how to balance mature solutions with nascent technologies. Its strategy integrates renewable energy, water desalination, and digitalised mining for immediate impact, while investing in green hydrogen, carbon capture, and circularity models to secure long-term competitiveness.
With distributed solar adoption accelerating and large-scale projects on the horizon, Africa is poised to become a significant player in clean energy. This transformation, if supported by robust policy frameworks and investment in grid infrastructure, could redefine Africa’s competitiveness in the global green economy and resilience in the coming decade.
“This report is a reminder that the green transition continues to be one of the biggest growth opportunities of our time, contributing to job generation, innovation, resilience and sustainable prosperity,” said Pim Valdre, head, climate and nature economy at the World Economic Forum. “The report provides analysis to support CEOs navigating a fast-evolving transition landscape and offers a framework to thrive in the growing green economy.”
Source: BCG
