The World Economic Forum study Already a Multi-Trillion-Dollar Market shows that the green economy has already reached a volume of five trillion US dollars per year and is one of the fastest-growing economic sectors worldwide. By 2030, an annual market volume of over seven trillion US dollars is expected.
Companies with a high proportion of green revenues are growing significantly faster than traditional business areas and often benefit from better financing opportunities and higher company valuations. Global demand for climate-friendly solutions is rising in almost all sectors.
Eight major market opportunities
- Transportation & Mobility (+3% CAGR) – Electric mobility, public transportation, sustainable logistics, and alternative drive systems.
- Energy supply & optimization (+5%) – Renewable energy generation, smart grid infrastructure, storage technologies, and energy efficiency solutions.
- Adaptation & Resilience (+6%) – Climate-proof infrastructure, flood protection, early warning systems, and risk modeling.
- Industrials & Buildings (+7%) – Decarbonization of heavy industry, building renovation, energy-efficient building materials, and heat pump technologies.
- Financial and enabling solutions (+9%) – sustainability ratings, carbon footprinting, green financial instruments, and climate-related software and consulting services.
- Circularity & waste management (+12%) – recycling technologies, reuse systems, packaging reduction, and raw material recovery.
- Food, agriculture, and land use (+14%) – Sustainable farming methods, alternative proteins, precision agriculture, and ecosystem protection.
- Carbon & methane management (+15%) – CO₂ capture and storage, methane reduction, voluntary carbon markets, and emission credits.
For leaders, this means:
The green economy is one of the biggest growth opportunities of the coming years. Companies that invest now in sustainable technologies, products, and business models can strengthen their competitiveness, tap into new markets, and grow more profitably in the long term.
Four CEO priorities for green growth
1. Purpose and strategy
- Set a bold, quantified ambition with a clear vision
- Position with a robust right to win
- Embed performance metrics and green standards (incl. proofing/certifying green value)
2. Growth accelerators
- Enable a route to tech maturity and cost efficiency
- Shape and navigate ecosystems and regulation (incl. via partnerships)
- Unlock smart capital and diversified financing
3. Value proposition
- Develop a sharp unique selling proposition around real and latent demand
- Drive strong business cases (incl. finding price premium opportunities)
- De-risk with (early) offtake agreements
4. Operating model
- Build a robust, sustainable supply chain
- Create a focused culture with a lean, yet scalable, team
- Leverage tech (incl. AI) and existing assets
