Green economy now worth $7.9 trillion—Bigger than financials, trails only tech and healthcare

Time of India

22-05-2025

New Delhi: The global
green economy
reached a
market capitalisation
of $7.9 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, accounting for 8.6 per cent of total listed equities, according to the London Stock Exchange Group's latest Investing in the Green Economy 2025 report.
The report stated that if treated as a standalone sector, the green economy would be the fourth largest globally by value, after Technology, Industrial Goods & Services, and Health Care. The sector's 10-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15 per cent places it second only to the Technology sector.
Green revenues
in 2024 exceeded $5.1 trillion, with a 10-year CAGR of 8 per cent. Since 2008, the green economy has outperformed the FTSE All Cap Index by 59 per cent and has outperformed the market in 70 per cent of five-year periods. However, as of April 15, 2025, the sector trailed the broader market by 3 per cent year-to-date.
The sixth edition of the report focuses on
climate adaptation
amid increased physical climate risks. It stated that physical climate losses have already reached $4.3 trillion and may rise to between 11 and 14 per cent of global GDP by 2050.
Over 2,100 companies generated more than $1 trillion in revenues from products and services contributing to climate adaptation in 2024. This figure represents close to 20 per cent of the global green economy. The report noted that 34 per cent of large and mid-cap listed companies referred to adaptation in their annual disclosures.
The Energy Management & Efficiency segment accounted for 46 per cent of the green economy, including sectors such as green buildings and high-efficiency chips. The second-largest segment was Transport Equipment at 17 per cent, driven by electric vehicles and battery manufacturers, including Tesla and Asian peers.
According to LSEG, the green economy spans 50 markets and nearly all industries. One-third of all sectors have more than 10 per cent green exposure. These include Autos, Utilities, Construction and Materials, and Real Estate. Green activities now represent 53 per cent of the market capitalisation in the Auto sector.
Asia contributed 44 per cent of global green revenues, while the Americas accounted for the largest share by market capitalisation. Emerging markets are growing their green economy nearly twice as fast as developed markets.
In the green bond market, total issuance reached $572 billion in 2024, a 10 per cent increase over 2023. Corporate issuers led the market, and
green bonds
outperformed benchmark indices by two percentage points. Emerging markets increased their share of total issuance from 11 per cent in 2023 to 17 per cent in 2024.
The report concluded that the green economy continues to expand amid global volatility caused by geopolitical risks, trade policy uncertainties, and rapid advancements in technologies such as artificial intelligence.