The biggest private sector:

What place for the informal economy

in green and inclusive growth?
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We are delighted to invite you to this event on Thursday 25 February 2016, at Church House
Conference Centre, Westminster, London, UK. The meeting will take place from 9am-5pm, followed
by a drinks reception and photo exhibition.
Co-hosted by IIED, the Green Economy Coalition, WIEGO, the Center for International Forestry
Research and the OECDs Sahel and West Africa Club, this event targets representatives of
government, civil society, business and research. It will enable you to review the evidence and agree
practical steps towards reconciling informality with inclusive growth, green economy and sustainable
development.
The concept of inclusive green growth has gained widespread recognition in recent years, and is
embedded in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and many national green growth plans.
But a huge part of economic activity is missing from international processes and national plans
relating to inclusive and/or green growth: the informal economy. In many countries this informal
private sector is bigger than the formal sector in terms of employment and even output. Hundreds of
millions of people including most of the worlds poorest and most vulnerable citizens live, work,
trade and produce in the formal economy. There are multiple perspectives on the informal economy.
Some associate it with lost revenue, unfair competition, low productivity, human rights abuses and
environmental degradation; while others associate it with entrepreneurship, flexibility and resilience.
But one thing is for sure. If attempts to implement the post-2015 development agenda and achieve
inclusive green growth are to succeed, they must be rooted in a sound understanding of the informal
economy, and learn from innovations in policy, business practice and actions by informal actors
themselves.
It is high time to draw together experience and expertise about the informal sector across countries
and sectors. This event is being convened to do just that. By taking stock of the evidence on informal
economies in diverse contexts -- from food distribution, mining, forestry to waste collection -- and
showcasing innovations in inclusive approaches, we aim to help build a new policy agenda for an
inclusive green economy and sustainable development.
After the event please join us for networking and canapes, and a preview of a forthcoming photo
exhibition that highlights the realities of livelihoods in the informal economy.
We look forward to seeing you there. Places are limited to 150, so please confirm your participation
as soon as possible. We will then follow up with a detailed programme and logistical information.

Further information about attending: contact informality@iied.org