When we released the first Green Transition Scoreboard in 2010, we were thrilled to have reached $1 trillion. The goal of $10 trillion in private investments by 2020 seemed audacious. Governments were still dealing with the great recession, companies were hoarding cash, and environmentalists’ hearts had just been broken after a failed meeting in Copenhagen.

My, how times have changed.

Earlier this week, we released our latest Green Transition Scoreboard research report detailing more than $6.22 trillion of private investments in global green sectors. This puts us way ahead of schedule to hit $10 trillion by 2020, and suggests that the transition to a clean, green economy is well underway. Companies like Apple, Ikea, and Google have stepped up to the plate in a big way. The time is ripe for a meaningful global agreement on climate change this December in Paris, and I’m cautiously optimistic that it’ll happen.

We can feel lots of momentum in the green economy, but is it translating into actual investments? According to the data in the new report, the answer is a resounding YES. 

Compared to 2013, renewable energy is up 25%; green construction is up 29%; and water infrastructure (counted in Life Systems) is up 6%. Meanwhile, investments in energy efficiency fell by 6% as companies invested much less in supply chain efficiencies than they did in 2013. Green R&D was relatively flat, although I’ll be doing a more detailed analysis for the mid-year update.

For those of you actively working in the green economy (or if you’re just a giant nerd like me), I would strongly suggest reading the whole report. It’s full of great links and resources from the formidable Hazel Henderson, and provides tremendous insights into the best research on the market.

Let’s hope these trends continue, and money keeps flowing into the green economy!!