GREEN-WIN · Project

Green Growth Strategies and Business Models for Climate-Smart Coastal, Urban, and Energy Sectors

environmentPrototypeTRL 3Thin data (2/5)

Imagine you want to fight climate change but you're worried it'll cost too much or hurt the economy. This project brought together 17 partners from 13 countries to figure out where "going green" actually pays off — and where it doesn't. They built upgraded economic models to find real green growth paths, tested workshops for green entrepreneurs, and mapped out sustainable business models in three areas: coastal flood protection, city planning, and ending energy poverty. Think of it as a brutally honest business case review for climate action.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries represented

total deliverables produced

SMEs in consortium

critical barriers addressed (cognitive, financial, economic, institutional)

action fields tested (coastal flood risk, urban transformation, energy poverty)

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies in coastal infrastructure, urban development, and energy services know they need to invest in climate adaptation and green growth — but they can't tell which investments will actually pay off versus which are just expensive greenwashing. The financial and institutional barriers to climate action are real, and without solid economic evidence, boards won't approve the spending.

The solution

What was built

The project produced 43 deliverables including an upgraded GEM-E3 economic model with technological diffusion and financial market modules, pilot capacity building workshops for green entrepreneurs, a replicable green entrepreneur internship program, and sustainable business model blueprints for coastal flood risk management, urban transformations, and energy poverty eradication.

Audience

Who needs this

Coastal flood risk insurers and reinsurers assessing climate adaptation investmentsUrban planning consultancies designing sustainable city transformationsEnergy service companies (ESCOs) working on energy poverty programsClimate finance institutions evaluating green growth investment portfoliosMunicipal authorities seeking evidence-based green development strategies

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Coastal Infrastructure & Insurance

enterprise

Target: Coastal engineering firms, flood risk insurers, or port authorities

If you are a coastal engineering firm or insurer dealing with rising flood risks and uncertain investment returns — this project developed win-win strategies and sustainable business models specifically for coastal zone flood risk management. Their 17-partner consortium across 13 countries mapped where green adaptation investments actually pay off, helping you justify spending on nature-based coastal protection with economic evidence.

Urban Development & Smart Cities

mid-size

Target: City planning consultancies, urban developers, or municipal utilities

If you are an urban development company struggling to make sustainability projects financially viable — this project identified enabling environments and business models for urban transformations. They ran pilot capacity building workshops for green entrepreneurs and created a replicable internship program to develop green advisory skills, giving you a tested template for building local green expertise.

Energy Services & Social Enterprise

SME

Target: Energy service companies (ESCOs), social enterprises tackling fuel poverty, or housing associations

If you are an energy service provider trying to address energy poverty while staying profitable — this project analyzed win-win strategies specifically for energy poverty eradication and resilience. With 3 industry partners and 3 SMEs in the consortium, they tested business models that combine social impact with commercial viability in the energy access space.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would this cost to implement in my business?

The project did not develop a priced commercial product. Its outputs are economic models, policy recommendations, and business model blueprints for green growth. Applying these would require consulting engagement to adapt the strategies to your specific context. Based on available project data, no pricing or licensing structure was published.

Can this scale to industrial or city-wide deployment?

The economic modeling (GEM-E3 upgrades) was designed for macro-scale analysis across entire economies, not individual firms. However, the business models for coastal flood management, urban transformation, and energy poverty were tested in specific action fields. Scaling would depend on local policy and finance conditions, which the project explicitly analyzed.

Is there IP or licensing involved?

As a publicly funded Research and Innovation Action (RIA) under Horizon 2020, most outputs are publicly accessible. The GEM-E3 model enhancements may have specific usage terms. Based on available project data, no commercial patents were filed — the value is in the knowledge and business model designs, not proprietary technology.

How proven are the green entrepreneur training programs?

The consortium delivered pilot capacity building workshops for green entrepreneurs at Month 33 and a replicable green entrepreneur internship program at Month 27. These were tested within the project but represent pilot-stage programs, not commercially validated training products.

What regulatory or policy insights does this offer?

The project specifically examined climate and sustainability finance policies and governance arrangements to overcome financial barriers. With partners from 13 countries including policy-relevant institutions, the outputs map which regulatory environments enable green growth. This is directly useful for companies navigating EU Green Deal compliance.

Can this integrate with our existing risk models?

The project introduced innovations into the GEM-E3 computable general equilibrium model, including network-based technological diffusion modeling and financial market constraints. These are research-grade economic models, not plug-and-play business tools. Integration would require econometric expertise and adaptation work.

Consortium

Who built it

The GREEN-WIN consortium is research-heavy: 8 universities and 3 research organizations dominate, with only 3 industry partners (18% industry ratio) and 3 SMEs. This signals a project built for knowledge generation rather than market deployment. The geographic spread across 13 countries — including non-EU partners in Indonesia, South Korea, South Africa, Turkey, and Switzerland — gives it global policy relevance but dilutes commercial focus. The coordinator, Global Climate Forum (Germany), is a non-profit research body, not a commercial entity. For a business looking to adopt outputs, you would likely need a consulting intermediary to translate the research into actionable strategy.

GCF - GLOBAL CLIMATE FORUM EVCoordinator · DE
E3-MODELLING AEparticipant · EL
PT SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCEparticipant · ID
UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWNparticipant · ZA
SUSTAINABLE FINANCE OBSERVATORYparticipant · FR
UNIVERSITA CA' FOSCARI VENEZIAparticipant · IT
JAEGER JILLparticipant · AT
STICHTING DELTARESparticipant · NL
THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORDparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITAT AUTONOMA DE BARCELONAparticipant · ES
BOGAZICI UNIVERSITESIparticipant · TR
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDONparticipant · UK
INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES EVparticipant · DE
ECOLE D'ECONOMIE DE PARISparticipant · FR

How to reach the team

Global Climate Forum (GCF), Berlin, Germany — a registered association (e.V.), not a commercial firm. Contact through their institutional website.

Order a report on this consortium See GCF - GLOBAL CLIMATE FORUM EV profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

SciTransfer can help you navigate the GREEN-WIN outputs and identify which green growth strategies and business models are relevant to your sector. We connect businesses with the right research teams — contact us for a tailored briefing.

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